Forbes Burnham

Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (February 20 1923 – August 6 1985) was a Guyanese political leader and leader of Guyana from 1964 until his death--as Prime Minister from 1964 to 1980 and as President from 1980 to 1985. He was married to Viola Burnham, who was also involved in politics.

Early life and education

Burnham, who was of African descent, was born in Kitty, a suburb of Georgetown, East Demerara, Guyana as one of three children to a poor family; one child is his sister Jesse Burnham.

He attended the prestigious and the colony's elite Queen's College Grammar School for Boys, where his academic brilliance earned him at least two internal scholarships. He used these scholarships to pay for the remaining years of secondary education since his family was unable to afford the fees. In 1942 he wins the prestigious Guiana Scholarship as the colony’s top student.

He received a law degree from the University of London 1948 he was called to the Bar Gray’s Inn, in London.

Political career

In 1950, he formed a left-wing party, the People's Progressive Party, along with Indo-Guyanese labor leader Cheddi Jagan. By 1952, he was president of the party's affiliated trade union, the British Guiana Labour Union.

First wife was Bernice Lataste, married during 1951 with Roxane, Annabelle, and Francesca as the fruits of that union. Burnham and Jagan began feuding in 1955 over Jagan's Communist leanings. It came to a head at a congress held that year. Burnham chaired the congress, and when one of his supporters moved to suspend the rules, Jagan and his supporters walked out, claiming the motion was a no-confidence vote. Burnham declared himself PPP leader, but Jagan claimed he still held the post. The PPP thus divided into two separate factions--a predominantly black one led by Burnham and a predominantly Indian one led by Jagan. The Burnham faction became the People's National Congress in 1958, entering its first election under that name in 1961.

For the next three years, Burnham sought to undermine his former ally, Jagan, by making British Guiana ungovernable. He led CIA-financed strikes, many of them quite violent. In 1963, the Colonial Office agreed to give British Guiana independence, but only after amending the constitution to introduce proportional representation. The intent was to keep the PPP from winning a majority and allow the more moderate PNC to form a government.

In the 1964 elections, while the PPP won the highest percentage of the vote, it did not get a majority. Burnham was able to form a coalition with a conservative white party, the United Force, and became premier of British Guiana on 14 December. On May 26, 1966, British Guiana became independent as Guyana.

Burnham served as Guyana's first foreign minister from 1966 to 1972.

Burhnam at first pursued moderate policies. However, in an ominous sign, one of his first acts upon independence was a sweeping "National Security Act" giving the police the power to search, seize and arrest virtually at will. He won full power in 1968, although the elections were almost universally condemned as fraudulent due to a large number of overseas voters. At this point, he began pursuing policies that were far to the left even of those Jagan pursued in the 1950s. He declared Guyana to be a "co-operative republic" and established strong relations with Cuba, the Soviet Union and other communist countries. Ironically, this is the reason why Burhnam's party came to power in the first place.

As Burnham shifted to the left, his policies became increasingly dictatorial. In 1974, he declared the PNC to be paramount and socialist. He had a referendum passed in 1978 which made it harder for his party to lose power, with results which were condemned as fraudulent. In 1980 the constitution was changed to make the president chief executive officer. He won the first Presidential elections in 1980. In both cases, the elections were widely considered fraudulent.

Burnham also became internationally notable for the Jonestown mass suicide, which occurred in Guyana in 1978, and which some blame partly on Burnham. During his reign as President, Burnham oversaw massive corruption and racial injustices; many of which he was directly responsible for. In 1970 when Burnham declared the country a co-operative republic, he also preached the ideology of self reliance. His ideas were triggered by the hostilities felt by many Indo-Guyanese for the decolonization of the country, which many saw as the turning point for Guyana's political, economic and sociological affairs. It was during this period from 1970-1982 that the "left wing" idelogies took a sharp turn for the worst. Burnham banned all forms of imports into the country, including flour and varieties of rice. Basic commodities such as soap, dishwashing liquid and detergent were not available for open sale during this period. As such, what little was imported was to be rationed, leading to the large scale inequality and injustices that have marred the country until this day. As many of Burnham's officials paid for many of the goods meant for regular citizens, thousands were left to be hungry. Many of the goods were stashed away in Trinidad and Tobago for Burnham's use via helicopter. This acted as a catalyst for the mass exodus in the 1980's that saw the country's population reduced by almost 50%.

Burnham remained President of Guyana until his death. He died suddenly in Georgetown, Guyana.

Legacy

Burnham was a visionary who perceived his role as a Founding Father of an Independent Guyana. This goal was achieved with the assistance of the United States of America and other Western democracies. Burnham's vision was to establish an egalitarian society where all races would enjoy social justice and political and economic emancipation.

The late President failed to recognize the ramifications of his ambitious project occurring at the height of the Cold War. Setting up a successful socialist state in the region was definitely a threat to Western intentions to halt the spread of USSR/Cuba expansion of communism.

Burnham's efforts to pursue economic liberation to support the already attained political Independence was considered by the West too dangerous for the Caribbean region. Burnham's successful efforts would have empowered other leaders in Latin America and Africa to follow similar socialist policies opposed by the West.

By introducing economic programs and policies from 1968, Burnham began laying the foundation to accomplish economic liberation for Guyana. The primary vehicle was co-operatives and the nationalization of all the major industries that were foreign owned and controlled. Such a plan or strategy could hardly be considered as attempts to intentionally inflict great harship or suffering on citizens. However, the consequences of Burnham's ambitious pursuits, which were opposed by the West have resulted in economic retardation, political instability and widespread social decline. Guyana is in decline due to foreign intervention in its domestic affairs.

Burnham's policies were dictatorial and racist as opposition groups have tried to overthrow Burnham because decades later many of the same programs and initiatives are still in place under PNC rule, as opposed to the PPP government where racial equality is encouraged. It is difficult to understand how a leader is a supposed anti-communist where he actually became a communist dictator in his early administration by introducing measures that foreign governments would obviously not approve. Burnham was a malevolent international leader who fought tirelessly to bring about Caribbean Unity through CARIFTA and CARIFESTA as his only good duties to the nation. As a leader he played an integral role in the Non-Aligned Movement and supported in a tangible way the African Liberation struggle against the prolonged minority rule by a White South African regime, and yet targeted the Indians (Indo Guyanese) at the same time to subject them to unnecessary and unfair racial and religious persecution.