Jagan, Cheddi Berret

▪ 1998

      Guyanese politician (b. March 22, 1918, Plantation Port Mourant, British Guiana [now Guyana]—d. March 6, 1997, Washington, D.C.), played a major role in Guyanese politics for half a century and was a leader in the country's quest for independence from Great Britain, which it achieved in 1966. In 1953 he became the first popularly elected prime minister of British Guiana, and though his Marxist beliefs led the British, with U.S. support, to dismiss him from office later that year, he subsequently headed the government from 1957 to 1964 and from 1992 until his death. Jagan was educated at Howard University, Washington, D.C., and the Northwestern University Dental School, Chicago, and qualified as a dentist in 1942. He returned to British Guiana the next year and set up a dental practice. He also became active in political and labour union activities and in 1947 was elected to the legislature. Jagan and his American-born wife founded (1950) the People's Progressive Party (PPP), and in elections in 1953 the party was victorious. Following his ouster after 133 days as prime minister, Jagan practiced dentistry and continued his political activities; he was jailed for some six months for defying a restriction order. The PPP was victorious in the 1957 election, and Jagan pursued economic reform policies. He became prime minister after the party's victory in 1961 and had hopes of leading the country to independence, but strikes, rioting, and ethnic conflict caused the British to intervene once again. In 1964 the British instituted a new system of proportional representation, and the PPP lost the election. Jagan became the leader of the opposition and served through nearly three decades in which elections were rigged to favour the ruling party. In the 1992 elections, however, the PPP won, and Jagan, now more moderate and supported by the U.S., became president.

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