Latest update November 8th, 2024 1:00 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Are we the Co-operative Republic or the Republic of Guyana?

Jun 12, 2011 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
In a copy of the constitution posted on the website of the Parliament of Guyana, it is stated in Article 1 that the country be known as the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. Assuming this is indeed the real constitution, then we have run into a problem.
During the constitution reform process in 1999, one of the discussion points was that to rename the country from the Cooperative Republic of Guyana to the Republic of Guyana.
The multi-stakeholder Constitution Reform Commission (CRC) recommended that the name of the country be changed, but did not evidently propose a new name. That was left to the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Constitution Reform, which was responsible for putting flesh to the CRC recommendations.
It proposed on page 5 of its report of August 2000 that the words “Guyana is a indivisible, secular, democratic sovereign state in the course to transition from capitalism to socialism and shall be known as the Co-operative Republic of Guyana” in the 1980 constitution be replaced by “Guyana is an indivisible, secular, democratic and sovereign state and shall be known as the Republic of Guyana.”
Eventually, this shortened version was approved by the Special Select Committee on the Report of the CRC and adopted by the National Assembly. There the matter should have rested.
Article 1 of the 2001 constitution, however, retains the exact old wording of the 1980 version. One suspects this may have been due to an oversight somewhere in the drafting process.
The situation has produced much confusion and inconsistency in how we officially refer to the country. Even the government is unsure. So, while, for example, the website of the Office of the President consistently refers to the country as the Republic of Guyana, that of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs includes references to the Cooperative Republic. The Parliamentary website is far bolder in its embrace of the old name. Its online document is titled the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.
Likewise, the words “transition from capitalism to socialism” in Article 1 clearly should not be there, as all mention of socialism and socialist has been shamelessly rooted out elsewhere in the 2001 constitution.
Correcting the problem should not be difficult.
Sherwood Lowe

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 6th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

CWI Cricket West Indies suspends Alzarri Joseph for two matches

CWI Cricket West Indies suspends Alzarri Joseph for two matches

Nov 08, 2024

Bridgetown, Barbados – Cricket West Indies (CWI) has imposed a two-match suspension on fast bowler Alzarri Joseph following an on-field incident during the 3rd CG United ODI at the Kensington...
Read More
ExxonMobil Futsal Championship heats up in Linden

ExxonMobil Futsal Championship heats up in Linden

Nov 08, 2024

Harpy Eagles left frustrated by weather once again in Super50 Cup no-result against Scorpions

Harpy Eagles left frustrated by weather once...

Nov 08, 2024

Lennox Blackmore National Intermediate C/ship shifted to Six Head Gym

Lennox Blackmore National Intermediate C/ship...

Nov 08, 2024

All-round Jaguars clinch 3-wicket win over Pitbulls 

All-round Jaguars clinch 3-wicket win over...

Nov 08, 2024

GSLT20 ticket sales begin tomorrow at the local box office

GSLT20 ticket sales begin tomorrow at the local...

Nov 08, 2024

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]