WEEKLY REVIEW -- GUYANA'S PRIME MINISTER WORKING FOR ELECTION MAJORITY

Created: 12/6/1968

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

WEEKLY REVIEW

Guyana's Prime Minister Working for Election Majority

The prospect! for Guyana's Prime Minister Burnhani to beto officelear majority are improving. He is nvaJting an all-out effort to gain the necessary votesnd hasincreasingly reluctant to forn anotherwith conservative Peter D'Aguiar's United Force.

Burnham is basing hisstrategy on obtaining the lion's share of overseas votes, nost of which will be cast by He also plans to break up the past voting pattern* which has been almost entirely onNegroes supported Burnham and the Cast Indians backed pro-Communist opposition leader Cheddi Jagan*

Major aid projects inof the economy dominated by East Indians have been announced recently. In addition, Burnham disclosed last week that Jagan has been clandestinely involved withextremists in Venezuela. Although it is ioubtful that the Cast Indians will actually abandon Jagan, Burnham strategists are convinced that it would not be overlywere the election results to show that Burnham had Jaau

All is not clear sailing, however, and Burnham is notto attack. LastVenezuelan troops, inof goals relating to their long-standing border dispute with Guyana,tring of Guyane islands in the river that forms the boundary. The Guyanese did not retaliate because troops were needed elsewhere to maintain security during the election Jagan has consistently maintained that Burnham has not adequately protected Guyanese territorial integrity and if word of the Venezuelan action leaks out, Jaaan mavrooaaanda couc

There islight possibility that Burnham's plans will miscarry and that he will fail toajority. If this occurs, and he still refuses to enter another coalition with the United Force, he may try toinority goverrunent,on support from border-Line opposition legisla fetch

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REVIEW

Dec 6

Original document.

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