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Guyana
Women in decision-making positions
39%
Members of local deliberative bodies are women (458 elected women)
No woman is Head of State/Government
37%
Parliamentarians are women
33%
Ministers are women

Government organization

Guyana is a unitary republic with two spheres of government: central and local.

One tier of central government and one tier of local government composed of municipalities and neighborhoods.
Central government
  • Head of State: The President is directly elected by voters.
  • Head of Government: The Prime Minister is an elected member of the National Assembly that is appointed by the President.
  • Legislative body: The National Assembly is a unicameral legislature whose members are directly elected by voters.
  • Executive body: The Cabinet consists of the President, the Prime Minister, vice-presidents, and ministers. The vice-presidents and ministers are appointed by the President from amongst the elected members of the National Assembly.
Local government
  • Organization: Local government is organized into one tier. In urban areas, there is one tier of six municipalities, including the City of Georgetown and five towns (New Amsterdam, Corriverton, Rose Hall, Anna Regina, and Linden). In rural areas, there is one tier of 65 neighborhood-level local government units.
  • Competencies: Local government is responsible for ensuring the efficient management and development of their areas in accordance with law, organizing popular co-operation in respect of the political, economic, cultural, and social life of their areas, co-operating with the social organizations of the working people, maintaining and protecting public property, improving working and living conditions, promoting the social and cultural life of the people, raising the level of civic consciousness, preserving law and order, consolidating the rule of law, and safeguarding the rights of citizens.
  • Ministerial oversight: Ministry of local government and regional development

Overview of local government

Local government composition
City of Georgetown

Deliberative body: The Georgetown City Council is composed of a mayor, a deputy mayor, and 25-30 elected members. The mayor is elected by and from the Georgetown City Council to preside over it; the mayor is not vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The clerk/chief executive officer, appointed by the council and subject to the approval of the Minister, is the executive of the City of Georgetown.

Town-level government

Deliberative body: The town council is composed of a mayor, a deputy mayor, and 9-18 elected members. The mayor is elected by and from the town council to preside over it; the mayor is not vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The clerk/chief executive officer, appointed by the council and subject to the approval of the Minister, is the executive of the City of Georgetown.

Neighborhood-level government

Deliberative body: The neighborhood democratic council is composed of 6-18 elected members. A council chairperson is elected by and from the neighborhood democratic council to preside over it; the council chairperson is also vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The council chairperson, assisted by a deputy chairperson elected by and from the neighborhood democratic council, is the executive at the neighborhood level of government.

Local government elections
Electoral system

Electoral system for councils: mixed (proportional representation (closed list) and majority/plurality (first-past-the-post))

  • 50% of members are elected using a proportional representation electoral system with a single constituency, using the rule of the largest remainder and the Hare quota. Political parties or voluntary groups shall  contest all the seats for that local authority area.
  • 50% of members are elected using a first-past-the-post electoral system by dividing the area in constituencies. To contest the constituency component a voluntary group or political party may contest any number of the constituencies for that local authority area.

Electoral system for chaipersons, clerks or chief executive officers: no direct election; appointment

  • Chairpersons are elected by and from the neighborhood councils.
  • Clerks and chief executive officers are appointed by the councils, subject to approval of the Minister.

Source: Local Authorities Elections Act of 1970 (amended through 2018), article 38A

Quotas
  • Gender quotas: No
  • Additional quotas: No
Term of elections
  • Term length: 3 years
  • Last local elections: 2018 
  • Next local elections: 2021 (postponed to 2023)
Electoral management body

    Guyana Elections Commission

    National legal framework on local government
    National legal framework
    • Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, 1980  (amended through 2016);
    • Amerindian Act, 2006;
    • Local Democratic Organs Act, 1980 (amended through 2006);
    • Municipal and District Councils Act, 1970 (amended through 1988);
    • Local Authorities Elections Act, 1970 (amended through 2018);
    • Local Government Act, 1945 (amended through 2015).
    Constitutional provisions on local government

    There are constitutional provisions that establish local government in Guyana. According to Articles 12 and 71 of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana of 1980 (amended through 2016), “local government by freely elected representatives of the people is an integral part of the democratic organisation of the State. Local Government is a vital aspect of socialist democracy and shall be organised so as to involve as many people as possible in the task of managing and developing the communities in which they live.”

    Legislative provisions on local government

    The National Assembly is responsible for establishing the national legal framework on local government. The key pieces of legislation which regulate local government are the Municipal and District Councils Act of 1970, the Local Government Act of 1945 (amended through 2015), and the Local Democratic Organs Act of 1980 (amended through 2006), which makes provisions for the institution of a country-wide system of local government through the establishment of organs of local democratic power as a vital aspect of social democracy.

    Sources:

    1. UN Women: Data on share of women in local government as of 1 January 2023.

    2. UN Women: Information on Head of State and Government as of 3 October 2023.

    3. Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU): Data on share of women in the single/lower chamber of parliament as of 1 January 2023.

    4. IPU and UN Women: Data on share of women in ministerial positions as of 1 January 2023.

    5. Information on local government organization as of 1 January 2023.