LOOKING BACK
Kaieteur News
August 6, 2004
Some describe Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, O.E., S.C., M.P., and late President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, as a complex personality whose first love was politics. When Guyana became independent in 1966, he was recorded as the first Prime Minister. After which, with the advent of a new constitution, he was elected President on 15th December, 1980.
Forbes Burnham was one of the founding fathers of both the Caribbean Free Trade Area (CARIFTA) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and one of the four signatories of the original Treaty of Chaguaramas which came in to being in 1973. One CARICOM leader describes Burnham as a "regional leader esteemed and highly significant." His vision was for a truly integrated Caribbean Community of independent people.
He was responsible for the first Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) in 1972.
While a student in London, his interest in politics earned him the Presidency of the West Indian Students Union in 1947 and participation as a delegate to the Students Congress in Prague in 1947 and Paris in 1948. Upon his return to Guyana he became co-founder and Chairman of the People's Progressive Party (PPP).
In 1952, he was elected to the Georgetown City Council where he served as Mayor on two occasions - in 1950 and again in 1964.
He served as first President of the oldest Trade Union in the Caribbean - the Guyana Labour Union. In October 1982 he was unanimously elected as President General, a position he held until his death in 1985. He founded the People's National Congress (PNC) in 1957 which he led for 28 years.
Burnham embraced the political philosophy of Co-operative Socialism, a variant of socialism which he sought to utilise to dramatically change Guyana's socio-economic circumstance.
Burnham was committed to the policy of Non-Alignment. He repeatedly made it clear that he was not prepared to sacrifice Guyana's right to determine its own path of political, economic, social and cultural development. He stood firmly for the dignity and independence of his country. He was an indefatigable foe of apartheid and was constantly praised for the strong support he gave to the liberation struggles in Southern Africa.
In Burnham's mind the creation of the Cooperative Republic in 1970 was a prelude to radical change in every aspect of life. Nothing was left untouched: culture, youth, banking, education, women's rights, nor the bauxite and sugar industries. By 1976, eighty per cent of the economy was out of the hands of the colonial administration.
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 new laws which ensured for women equal rights in all spheres of political, economic and social life. However, all these achievements were to be undermined by the economic crisis of the 70s and poor management of Guyana political economy. The oil crisis hit Guyana hard as it did other developing countries. The economy contracted significantly and Burnham sought assistance from the IMF and in 1985 began talks with the PPP to a view to arriving at some form of coalition or political understanding. He however died on August 6, 1985.
President Burnham, was the recipient of Guyana's highest award, the Order of Excellence (O.E) in 1973 and other prestigious awards from such countries as Brazil, Cuba and Yugoslavia. In 1975, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Dalhousie University in Canada. Amidst all this he was a husband to the now late Viola Burnham and a father of five children.