Guyana: Politics and Governance

Guyana is a unitary parliamentary republic in which the president, elected as the leader of the party or coalition that wins a majority in the National Assembly, serves as both head of state and head of government. The National Assembly is Guyana's unicameral legislature, and the judiciary operates independently, with the Caribbean Court of Justice serving as the final court of appeal for certain matters. The country is divided into ten administrative regions.

Guyanese politics has historically been shaped by competition between parties drawing support along ethnic lines, reflecting the country's Indo-Guyanese and Afro-Guyanese communities, and elections have at times been closely contested and politically tense. In recent years, the rapid growth of the oil sector has become a central feature of political and public debate, with ongoing discussion over how to manage resource revenue transparently and equitably while continuing to strengthen democratic institutions.