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handle is hein.crs/govdchz0001 and id is 1 raw text is: %Fnw C~l rES .rh$e Updated October 27, 2020 Guyana: An Overview Located on the north coast of South America, English- speaking Guyana has characteristics of a Caribbean nation because of its British colonial heritage (the country became independent in 1966). Guyana participates in Caribbean regional organizations, and its capital Georgetown serves as headquarters for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), a regional integration organization. Figure I. Map of Guyana Georgetown0 tew Anstecrrn Lrnden*& GaUYANA 3 s5 a l Mles Source: Congressional Research Service. In 2020, Guyana has faced two major challenges -a political crisis concerning the conduct of the March 2, 2020, elections, and a public health threat due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. After five months of discord between Guyana's two major political parties, the country's political crisis was resolved on August 2, and opposition candidate Mohamed Irfaan Ali of the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) was sworn in as president. With regard to COVID-19, as of October 27, 2020, Guyana reported 119 deaths and over 4,000 confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The economic impact of COVID-19 on Guyana has not been as severe as in other Caribbean countries because of Guyana's recently begun offshore oil production. P,,, a Environment Guyana has a hybrid republican/parliamentary form of government. The presidential candidate of the party or coalition receiving the most votes becomes president, and the president appoints the prime minister. Current President Ali defeated incumbent President David Granger (elected in 2015), who led a coalition consisting of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC). In the National Assembly, Ali's PPP/C took a majority of 33 seats, the APNU/AFC coalition won 31 seats, and a smaller party won the remaining seat. Ali appointed retired military leader Mark Phillips as prime minister and former President Bharrat Jagdeo (1999-2011) as vice president. Some observers contend that Jagdeo, who was constitutionally prohibited from seeking a third term, is playing a key role in policy decisions. Traditionally supported by Indo-Guyanese, the PPP/C governed Guyana from 1992 until its defeat in the 2015 elections. The largest party in the opposition APNU is the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR), which dominated the political system from independence until 1992; the party traditionally has had an Afro-Guyanese base of support. The AFC identifies as a multiracial party. Guyana at a Glance Population: 787,000 (2020, IMF est.) Ethnic Groups: Indo-Guyanese, or those of East Indian heritage, almost 40%; Afro-Guyanese, almost 30%; mixed, 20%; Amerindian, almost 1 1% (2012, CIA est.) Area: 83,000 square miles, about the size of Idaho GDP: $6.8 billion (2020, current prices, IMF est.) Real GDP Growth: 5.4% (2019 est.); 26.2% (2020 est.); 8.1% (2021 est.) (constant prices, IMF) Per Capita GDP: $8,649 (2020, current prices, IMF est.) Sources: International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Economic Outlook Database, October 2020; and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), World Factbook. March 2020 Elections and Aftermath. Originally due by September 2020, Guyana held national elections on March 2, 2020, because President Granger's APNU/AFC coalition lost a no-confidence motion in December 2018. After that defeat, elections were delayed in part because of a legal challenge that went to the Caribbean Court of Justice, which ruled in 2019 that the motion was valid. Even after the March 2020 elections were held, final results were not issued until August because of fraud allegations and numerous legal challenges. A recount was held between May 6 and June 8, overseen by a three-member CARICOM team. Preliminary recount results showed the opposition PPP/C secured enough votes to win. The CARICOM team concluded that the recount, despite some

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