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Linden Forbes Burnham National Assembly LINDEN FORBES SAMPSON BURNHAM, O.E., S.C. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEECHES VOLUME 3 October 1961- October 1962 1 Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, O.E., S.C. National Assembly Speeches Volume 3 © National Assembly of Guyana Cover design by Peepal Tree Press All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without permission. This publication was made possible by the support of the Peepal Tree Press (Leeds). ISBN 978-1-907493-63-8 2 Biographical Summary Scholar : Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham was born to a Headmaster father and a devout Christian mother on February 20, 1923. His scholastic career is one of the outstanding features of his life. He went from Kitty Methodist School to Central High School and then to Queen’s College in 1935 and one year later gained the Centenary Exhibition as well as a Government Junior Scholarship. In 1937, he won the Percival Exhibition Award and in 1942 he won the coveted Guyana scholarship. The war prevented him from proceeding to University overseas and he therefore read externally for a degree from London University. After the war, he proceeded to read Law at Gray’s Inn, winning the best speaker’s cup in the process. But the Law could not hold him. Politics was in his blood. Several Caribbean Leaders, especially Errol Barrow of Barbados have testified how Burnham and others “tired the sun with talking” on all subjects political. The destiny of Guyana and the Caribbean region claimed his attention. Left wing politics attracted him and soon Burnham was involved with the youth arm of the Communist party of Britain and the politics of the Caribbean students. Brilliant Lawyer: In 1944, he was awarded the Bachelor of Arts Degree at the External Examination of the University of London. In 1947 he gained with honours, the Bachelor of Laws Degree from the same University. In 1948, at the age of 25, he was admitted to the Bar of the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn, London. In 1949 he returned home and was admitted to the local Bar. By 1959 he had so established himself as a brilliant lawyer, that he was elected President of the Guyana Bar Association. Politics: While a student in London, his keen interest in politics earned him the presidency of the West Indian Students’ Union in 1947 and participation as a delegate to the Students’ Congresses in Prague in 1947 and Paris in 1948. Upon his return to Guyana he became a co-founder and Chairman of the People’s Progressive Party. In 1952, he was elected to the Georgetown City Council where he served as Mayor on two occasions, in 1959 and 1964. First Executive President: In 1957, he founded the People’s National Congress and served as Leader of the Opposition within the Legislature until 1964 when he became Premier at the head of the People’s National Congress / United Force Coalition Government. When Guyana became independent in 1966, he became Prime Minister and with the advent of a new Constitution, he was elected the First Executive President on December 15, 1980 , remaining in that position until his death on August 6, 1985. 3 International Respect: He earned for his country international recognition and the respect of friends and foes alike for his articulation of commitment to the practice of Non- Alignment. He made it clear that he was not prepared to sacrifice Guyana’s right to determine its own path of political, economic and social and cultural development. He was also an indefatigable foe of apartheid and was repeatedly praised for the strong support to the liberation struggles in Southern Africa. Carifta/Caricom/Carifesta: Within the Region, he was a Founding Father of both Carifta and Caricom and was regarded as “a regional Leader of utmost importance and highest esteem.” His was the vision of an integrated Caribbean Community of independent people and he worked hard towards making that vision a reality. In the quest for cultural independence, under his leadership, Guyana hosted the first Caribbean Festival of Creative Arts (Carifesta). Women’s Rights: He ensured the passing of legislation which gave children born out of wedlock equal rights with those born of wedlock. A State Paper on Women in 1976 gave birth to three laws - The Equal Rights Act; The Family and Dependants Provision Act and the Married Persons (Property) Amendment Act. These Acts ensured for women equal rights in all spheres of political, economic and social life. Concern for Youth: His concern for youth was manifested in the establishment of the Guyana National Service which was meant to give early school-leavers additional opportunities and to build in young people a spirit of nationalism and engender a zeal for service to the nation. Awards: He received Guyana’s highest award, the Order of Excellence (O.E.) in 1973. His work as an internationalist earned him the grand Cordan Dh’orde du Mil award from the Government of Egypt, the Jose Marti award from the Government of Cuba in 1975 and an honorary Doctorate of Law from Dalhouse University of Canada. Three countries awarded him their highest awards - in October 1983, Brazil honoured him with the Cruseiro DoSol, in 1984, Bulgaria with the Star of Planinay and in 1985, Yugoslavia with the ‘Order of the Red Star’. 4 Contents: Election of Speaker: 5th October, 1961..............................................................1 Appreciation of Governor’s Address: 18th October, 1961 .............................3 Motion on the Approval of Government’s Policy: 19th October, 1961 ........4 Motion on the Approval of Government’s Policy (cont.): 20th October, 1961 ........................................................................................13 Independence for British Guiana: 2nd November, 1961 ..............................40 Independence for British Guiana (cont.): 3rd November, 1961 ..................52 Second Reading of the Local Government (Postponement of Elections) Bill: 3rd November, 1961 .............................................................................62 Government’s Handling of Crisis: 1st March, 1962 ......................................63 Committee to Consider Draft Constitution: 9th February, 1962 .................71 Payment of Salaries to Public Servants for 1961: 2nd March, 1962 ............81 Senior Legal Adviser and Legal Adviser for Police Department: 15th March, 1962 ...........................................................................................93 Pure Water Supply Programme: 15th March, 1962 .......................................96 Motion to Confirm Customs Order No. 3/1962: 15th March, 1962 ............97 Motion on the Second Reading of Appropriation Bill: 13th April, 1962 ...99 Suspension of Grenada Constitution: 22nd June, 1962 ..............................120 Second Reading of the National Development Saving Levy Bill: 13th July, 1962..............................................................................................122 West Coast Berbice Road: 20th July, 1962 ...................................................131 Conditions of Employment on Coastal Ships: 2nd August, 1962 .............133 Motion on Government’s Retrenchment Policy: 2nd August, 1962 ..........134 Proposed Draft Constitution of Guiana: 31st August, 1962 ......................147 Motion on Financial Aid for Fire Victims: 31st August, 1962 ...................148 Strike of Employees of Rice Marketing Board: 3rd October, 1962 ............151 Motion on the Second Reading of the Public Corporations Bill: 10th October, 1962 ......................................................................................153 5 6 LINDEN FORBES SAMPSON BURNHAM, O.E., S.C. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEECHES VOLUME 3 October 1961 - October 1962 7 8 Election of Speaker: 5th October, 1961 Mr. Burnham: Mr. Speaker, believe me, I desire to congratulate you most heartily upon your unanimous election today as Speaker of the first Legislative Assembly under the new Constitution. Yours is a high office and your ability to fill it is palpably clear, for those of us who have come over from the old Legislative Council have had the advantage of seeing you occupy that very Chair as Acting Speaker. Indeed it is an historic occasion; indeed, I think, it is typical of the times present and future for we, the elected representatives of the people, to have chosen a Guianese to be the Speaker of our House. You have promised, during the course of your remarks, to observe that impartiality which, I think, should always be the hallmark of the office of Speaker; and I am led to believe that that promise of yours will be fulfilled not only in spirit, but to the very letter, if my memory of your presiding here last year and this year serves me right, and that is as it should be. It is not for me to deliver a polemic on the duties and attitudes of a Speaker, but I think we will all agree that, without an impartial speaker, this House can well become a farce. You have been in public life, Mr. Speaker for many years. I recollect it was way back in 1950 when I had the advantage of seeing you returned to the Georgetown Town Council. It was not my good fortune to have joined you around that Table in that year. I remember your return in 1952 to the same Chamber; I remember how you have performed the duties and held the high office of Mayor; I remember also the vigour with which you attacked a certain candidate for Wortmanville/Werk-en-Rust during the 1952 election campaign for the Georgetown Town Council, and I was struck then by the vigour with which you expressed your feelings and your points of view. I recall, also with interest, the years during which you have served in this very House under another name during the period 1954-57 as a Member of the Interim Government, I also recollect, quite clearly and keenly, the vigour with which you expressed your points of view in those days. It has been my good fortune to have sat about three chairs away from you on this side of the House when, as Nominated Member, you put forward your points of view. There were times when your point of view did not coincide with mine, but still I appreciate the vigour and forthrightness with which you said what you had to say.
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