<item><hi format=bold>Independence:</hi> 26 May 1966 (from UK)
<item><hi format=bold>National holiday:</hi> Republic Day, 23 February (1970)
<item><hi format=bold>Constitution:</hi> 6 October 1980
<item><hi format=bold>Legal system:</hi> based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
<item><hi format=bold>Suffrage:</hi> 18 years of age; universal
<item><hi format=bold>Executive branch:</hi>
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<item>• <hi format=ital>chief of state:</hi> Executive President Cheddi JAGAN (since 5 October 1992); First Vice President Sam HINDS (since 5 October 1992); election last held on 5 October 1992; results—Cheddi JAGAN was elected president since he was leader of the party with the most votes in the National Assembly elections
<item>• <hi format=ital>head of government:</hi> Prime Minister Sam HINDS (since 5 October 1992)
<item>• <hi format=ital>cabinet:</hi> Cabinet of Ministers; appointed by the president, responsible to the legislature
<item><hi format=bold>National Assembly:</hi> elections last held on 5 October 1992 (next to be held in 1997); results—PPP 53.4%, PNC 42.3%, WPA 2%, TUF 1.2%; seats—(65 total, 53 elected) PPP 36, PNC 26, WPA 2, TUF 1
<item><hi format=bold>Judicial branch:</hi> Supreme Court of Judicature
<item><hi format=bold>Political parties and leaders:</hi> People's Progressive Party (PPP), Cheddi JAGAN; People's National Congress (PNC), Hugh Desmond HOYTE;; People's National Congress (PNC), Hugh Desmond HOYTE; Working People's Alliance (WPA), Eusi KWAYANA, Rupert ROOPNARINE; Democratic Labor Movement (DLM), Paul TENNASSEE; People's Democratic Movement (PDM), Llewellyn JOHN; National Democratic Front (NDF), Joseph BACCHUS; The United Force (TUF), Manzoor NADIR; United Republican Party (URP), Leslie RAMSAMMY; National Republican Party (NRP), Robert GANGADEEN; Guyana Labor Party (GLP), Nanda GOPAUL
<item><hi format=bold>Other political or pressure groups:</hi> Trades Union Congress (TUC); Guyana Council of Indian Organizations (GCIO); Civil Liberties Action Committee (CLAC)
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<item>• <hi format=ital>note:</hi> the latter two organizations are small and active but not well organized
<item>• <hi format=ital>chief of mission:</hi> Ambassador George F. Jones
<item>• <hi format=ital>embassy:</hi> 99-100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingstown, Georgetown
<item>• <hi format=ital>mailing address:</hi> P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown
<item>• <hi format=ital>telephone:</hi> [592] (2) 54900 through 54909 and 57960 through 57969
<item>• <hi format=ital>FAX:</hi> [592] (2) 58497
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<item><hi format=bold>Flag:</hi> green with a red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a long yellow arrowhead; there is a narrow black border between the red and yellow, and a narrow white border between the yellow and the green