(c) crown copyright
Catalogue Reference:CAB/129/80
Image Reference:0050
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SECRET
C . P . ( 5 6 ) 100
17th A p r i l ,
COPY NO.
^
1956
CABINET
BRITISH GUIANA
M e m o r a n d u m b y t h e S e c r e t a r y of S t a t e f o r t h e
Colonies
M y c o l l e a g u e s w i l l r e c o l l e c t t h a t , in A p r i l 1953, t h e P e o p l e ' s
P r o g r e s s i v e P a r t y ( P . P . P . ) in B r i t i s h G u i a n a won the f i r s t G e n e r a l E l e c t i o n
u n d e r u n i v e r s a l adult suffrage a n d took office u n d e r a new constitution which
g a v e w i d e p o w e r s to e l e c t e d M i n i s t e r s .
Within six months it was n e c e s s a r y
t o s u s p e n d t h i s c o n s t i t u t i o n t o p r e v e n t t h e s u b v e r s i o n of G o v e r n m e n t b y t h e
e x t r e m i s t l e a d e r s of t h e P a r t y .
A wholly official and n o m i n a t e d I n t e r i m
Government was set up.
2,
T h e R o b e r t s o n C o m m i s s i o n , appointed to e n q u i r e into t h e s e e v e n t s ,
r e c o m m e n d e d a n i n d e f i n i t e p e r i o d of m a r k i n g t i m e i n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l m a t t e r s .
I a n n o u n c e d i n N o v e m b e r , 1954, t h a t H e r M a j e s t y ' s G o v e r n m e n t a c c e p t e d
t h i s r e c o m m e n d a t i o n b u t i n t e n d e d to do e v e r y t h i n g p o s s i b l e to fit t h e C o l o n y
for a r e t u r n to r e p r e s e n t a t i v e G o v e r n m e n t .
3.
S i n c e t h e s u s p e n s i o n of t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n , e f f o r t s t o i m p r o v e c o n d i t i o n s
in the Colony and d e v e l o p its r e s o u r c e s have b e e n intensified.
P r o g r e s s so
f a r h a s n o t b e e n a s g o o d a s w a s h o p e d b u t t h e g r o u n d h a s b e e n p r e p a r e d fox
c a r r y i n g t h r o u g h t h e m a j o r p r o g r a m m e of d e v e l o p m e n t r e c e n t l y a n n o u n c e d
for 1956/60.
4.
In t h e p o l i t i c a l field, the m o s t s i g n i f i c a n t d e v e l o p m e n t h a s b e e n a
split in the P . P . P.
One faction, led by D r . Jagan, includes the e x t r e m e
C o m m u n i s t e l e m e n t s and d e r i v e s its s u p p o r t m a i n l y f r o m E a s t Indians in the
sugar estates and country d i s t r i c t s .
The other, led by M r . B u r n h a m , h a s
t h e s u p p o r t of t h e A f r i c a n c o m m u n i t y a n d i s s t r o n g e r i n t h e G e o r g e t o w n a n d
urban areas.
The I n t e r i m G o v e r n m e n t h a s not s e c u r e d for itself any
m e a s u r e of p o p u l a r s u p p o r t a n d i t s m e m b e r s , w i t h f e w p o s s i b l e e x c e p t i o n s ,
have no political future.
A new political Party, called the National Labour
F r o n t a n d l e d b y M r . L i o n e l L u c k h o o , t h e M a y o r of G e o r g e t o w n , h a s r e c e n t l y
b e e n f o r m e d a n d m a y p r o v i d e an effective f o c u s f o r o p p o s i t i o n to the
e x t r e m i s t w i n g of t h e P . P . P .
It i s , h o w e v e r , t o o e a r l y to b e m o r e d e f i n i t e
than this.
5.
Against this background, the p r e s e n t G o v e r n o r , S i r P a t r i c k Renison,
h a s s i n c e a s s u m i n g d u t y l a s t O c t o b e r c o n s i d e r e d t h e p o s s i b i l i t y of r e s u m i n g
constitutional advance and as a f i r s t step he h a s r e l a x e d r e s t r i c t i o n s on
political m e e t i n g s i m p o s e d u n d e r the E m e r g e n c y P o w e r s .
As a result,
t h e r e h a s b e e n a m a r k e d heightening in political i n t e r e s t and c o n s i d e r a b l e
s p e c u l a t i o n a b o u t t h e p r o s p e c t s of e l e c t i o n s b e i n g h e l d .
The Governor
is satisfied that he should m a i n t a i n the initiative and has put f o r w a r d
p r o p o s a l s for a limited and closely safeguarded step toward the r e s t o r a t i o n
of r e p r e s e n t a t i v e G o v e r n m e n t .
His proposals, briefly, a r e that an elected
e l e m e n t should b e i n t r o d u c e d into the L e g i s l a t i v e Council and that he should a p p o i n t a n u m b e r of e l e c t e d m e m b e r s t o s e r v e o n t h e E x e c u t i v e C o u n c i l w i t h portfolios.
D e t a i l s of t h e p r o p o s e d c o n s t i t u t i o n a r e s h o w n i n t h e A p p e n d i x to t h i s p a p e r . 6.
T h e s e proposals r e p r e s e n t the m i n i m u m advance which could possibly
b e m a d e , if i t i s to b e m a d e a t a l l , a n d t h e r e a r e s a f e g u a r d s a t e v e r y p o i n t .
T h e G o v e r n o r b e l i e v e s t h a t if t h i s i n i t i a t i v e i s t a k e n n o w i t w i l l b e p o s s i b l e t o
h o l d t h e p o s i t i o n a t t h i s l e v e l f o r a f u r t h e r p e r i o d of y e a r s , w h e r e a s if t h e
p r e s s u r e for a d v a n c e is left u n s a t i s f i e d m u c h longer the t i m e will c o m e w h e n
a m u c h l a r g e r i n i t i a l s t e p w i l l h a v e to b e c o n c e d e d .
If t h e s e p r o p o s a l s a r e
adopted I would in announcing t h e m m a k e it entirely c l e a r that H e r M a j e s t y ' s
G o v e r n m e n t a r e n o m o r e p r e p a r e d n o w t h a n i n 1953 to t o l e r a t e a C o m m u n i s t
state in B r i t i s h Guiana, and that this is a controlled e x p e r i m e n t , the s u c c e s s ,
o r o t h e r w i s e of w h i c h w i l l d e p e n d o n t h e G u i a n e s e p e o p l e a n d t h e l e a d e r s
w h o m t h e y c h o o s e to s u p p o r t .
7.
I h a v e d i s c u s s e d this m a t t e r v e r y fully with the G o v e r n o r .
T h e r e is
n o q u e s t i o n of e l e c t i o n s b e i n g h e l d b e f o r e A p r i l , 1 9 5 7 , a n d h i s i n t e n t i o n i s t o
l e a v e t h e d a t e o p e n t o g i v e o p p o r t u n i t y f o r a b u i l d u p of t h e n e w N a t i o n a l
Labour Front.
If t h i s p r o v e s s u c c e s s f u l i t w i l l o p e n u p t h e p o s s i b i l i t y of a n
e f f e c t i v e c o a l i t i o n of a n t i - C o m m u n i s t f o r c e s i n w h i c h t h e B u r n h a m f a c t i o n of
the P . P . P . m i g h t e v e n j o i n .
Nevertheless, the possibility that Dr. Jagan
and M r . B u r n h a m , e i t h e r in c o m b i n a t i o n o r s e p a r a t e l y , would s u c c e e d in
w i n n i n g a m a j o r i t y of e l e c t e d s e a t s ( a n d p o s s i b i l y a l l of t h e m ) m u s t b y n o m e a n s
be discounted.
I have d i s c u s s e d p a r t i c u l a r l y with the G o v e r n o r how the
constitution would be w o r k e d in that event, since it would obviously be
e x p e c t e d that he would offer t h e m a p p o i n t m e n t to E x e c u t i v e Council.
He is
confident that the P . P . P . l e a d e r s could not again r i s k provoking a b r e a k d o w n
in t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n without forfeiting t h e i r s u p p o r t in the c o u n t r y and it i s
l i k e l y t h e r e f o r e t h a t t h e y w o u l d p r o v e c o - o p e r a t i v e if a p p o i n t e d t o E x e c u t i v e
Council.
T h e r e is e v i d e n c e s u g g e s t i n g t h a t D r . J a g a n p e r s o n a l l y (as
d i s t i n c t f r o m the c o n v i n c e d C o m m u n i s t s in his g r o u p ) i s a n x i o u s to s e c u r e
s o m e p o l i t i c a l f u t u r e f o r h i m s e l f a n d i s w o r r i e d a b o u t t h e p o s s i b i l i t y of
di s e n f r a n c h i s e m e n t .
8.
T h e r e i s t h e r e f o r e a r e a s o n a b l e p r o s p e c t of t h i s e x p e r i m e n t p r o v i d i n g
the b a s i s f o r f u r t h e r p r o g r e s s in the p o l i t i c a l field in B r i t i s h G u i a n a .
P r o v i d e d i t i s c l e a r t h a t w e i n t e n d to p r o c e e d c a u t i o u s l y w i t h full s a f e g u a r d s
a g a i n s t C o m m u n i s t e x t r e m i s m , I d o n o t e x p e c t a n y s e r i o u s l o s s of c o n f i d e n c e
in b u s i n e s s c i r c l e s .
At t h e w o r s t , t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n c o u l d r e v e r t to i t s p r e s e n t
f o r m a t t h e d i s c r e t i o n of t h e G o v e r n o r ; a n d t h e r e w i l l b e a c o m p a n y of
U n i t e d K i n g d o m t r o o p s in the Colony to s a f e g u a r d a g a i n s t any d i s t u r b a n c e .
9.
C o n s t i t u t i o n a l a d v a n c e m u s t s o o n e r o r l a t e r be r e s u m e d in B r i t i s h
Guiana and, w h e n e v e r this is done, s o m e r i s k m u s t then be accepted.
I am
s a t i s f i e d t h a t t h e G o v e r n o r ' s p r o p o s a l t o r e t a i n t h e i n i t i a t i v e a n d t a k e a s m a l l ,,
step f o r w a r d at this s t a g e is w i s e .
A f u r t h e r p o i n t i n f a v o u r of t h i s a c t i o n
is t h a t u n t i l t h e e l e c t i v e s y s t e m i s r e s t o r e d in B r i t i s h G u i a n a t h e r e c a n b e
n o p o s s i b i l i t y of t h e C o l o n y j o i n i n g t h e C a r i b b e a n F e d e r a t i o n , a s w e a l l h o p e
it will.
I t h e r e f o r e hope that it will b e a g r e e d that I should m a k e an annour.ce­
m e n t i n P a r l i a m e n t t o w a r d s t h e e n d of t h i s m o n t h .
A . L. - B .
Colonial Office,
17th A p r i l ,
S.W.I.
1956.
APPENDIX
PROPOSED AMENDED
I.
CONSTITUTION
The a m e n d e d Constitution would be as follows:­
(a.)
F r a n c h i s e - U n i v e r s a l Adult
(b)
Legislative
Suffrage,
Council
Speaker
F o u r officials
Not m o r e than eight N o m i n a t e d
Twelve Elected M e m b e r s
Members
The Speaker would be nominated by the
G o v e r n o r f r o m outside the Council and would
have a casting vote only.
The Nominated
M e m b e r s would be appointed by the G o v e r n o r
in his sole discretion.
The Governor would
c o n s i d e r , i n t h e l i g h t of e l e c t i o n r e s u l t s , t h e
p o s s i b i l i t y of a p p o i n t i n g o n l y s e v e n N o m i n a t e d
M e m b e r s , thus providing an elected m a j o r i t y
of o n e .
The Governor would have the u s u a l
reserve legislative powers.
(c)
Executive
Council
Governor
F o u r officials
O n e n o m i n a t e d M e m b e r of L e g i s l a t i v e
Council
F i v e E l e c t e d M e m b e r s of L e g i s l a t i v e
Council.
2.
T h e G o v e r n o r w o u l d r e t a i n h i s p r e s e n t p o w e r s t o a c t c o n t r a r y t o fee
a d v i c e of t h e E x e c u t i v e C o u n c i l .
The Elected M e m b e r s would be chosen
b y the G o v e r n o r in his d i s c r e t i o n , but h e w o u l d e n d e a v o u r to s e l e c t t h o s e
w h o w e r e t h e l e a d e r s of a n y P a r t y o r c o a l i t i o n w h i c h h a d o b t a i n e d a
m a j o r i t y of s e a t s .
T h e y w o u l d b e g i v e n d u t i e s f o r d e p a r t m e n t s of
G o v e r n m e n t a s " M e m b e r s " , b u t the G o v e r n o r w o u l d h a v e d i s c r e t i o n to
w i t h d r a w t h e i r p o r t f o l i o s a n d t o r e m o v e t h e m f r o m m e m b e r s h i p of
Executive Council.
3.
If e l e c t e d m e m b e r s r e f u s e d e i t h e r t o t a k e t h e i r s e a t s i n
L e g i s l a t i v e C o u n c i l o r to a c c e p t a p p o i n t m e n t to E x e c u t i v e C o u n c i l the
G o v e r n o r i n h i s d i s c r e t i o n w o u l d b e a b l e to n o m i n a t e m e m b e r s i n s t e a d .
T h e r e w o u l d b e a s p e c i a l p r o v i s i o n enabling the G o v e r n o r in h i s d i s c r e t i o n
to r e m o v e f r o m L e g i s l a t i v e C o u n c i l a n y e l e c t e d m e m b e r w h o in h i s o p i n i o n
is working for Communist ends.
T h e a m e n d m e n t s to t h e C o n s t i t u t i o n
w i l l b e i n s u c h f o r m t h a t if n e c e s s a r y t h e G o v e r n o r w i l l b e a b l e t o r e v e r t
to the p r e s e n t wholly n o m i n a t e d and official a r r a n g e m e n t s .