ABSTRACT
LINDEN FORBES S. BURNHAM (President, October 6, 1980-August 6, 1985). Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham was born in Kitty, East Demarara, on February 20,1923. He was educated locally and at the University of London, where he received a degree in law in 1947. He returned to British Guiana in 1949 and set up a law practice in Georgetown. Burnham was a founder of the pro-independence People's Progressive party with Cheddi lagan the following year. He was elected to the newly created National Assembly in April of 1953 and served as minister of education in the government. The British government feared the radical nature of the government under Chief Minister Cheddi lagan and expelled the government. Burnham broke with lagan over the Marxist drift of the People's Progressive party and formed the People's National Congress in 1955. Burnham was reelected to the National Assembly when elections were resumed in 1957. lagan's party received a majority of seats in the assembly, and he became prime minister. The British introduced a new constitution in September of 1964 designed to make lagan's reelection more difficult by requiring a system of proportional representation. The People's National Congress was victorious in elections in December of 1964, and Burnham formed a coalition government. He became prime minister on December 14, 1964, and remained head of the government when British Guiana was granted independence as Guyana on May 25, 1966. Burnham was returned to office in elections in 1968, though allegations of electoral fraud tainted the victory. Guyana was declared a republic on March 17,1970. Burnham was again reelected as head of the government in 1973. His government was socialist in nature and supported the nationalization of foreign businesses and a cooperative economy. Guyana became the headquarters of various religious sects during the 1970s, including the People's Temple commune.
