CONSTITUTION OF GUIANA

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27191, 7 November 1953, Page 7

CONSTITUTION OF GUIANA

ORDER IN COUNCIL FOR SUSPENSION

(Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 6. A draft Order-in-Council, suspending the Constitution of British Guiana, and providing for an interim constitution, was laid before Parliament today. It will automatically become law if it is not rejected by the House in the next 40 days. The order is a result of a Government decision to suspend the Constitution because it feared a plot by ad-, herents of communism to turn the colony into a totalitarian State.

Thp national executive of the British Labour Party yesterday told the party’s affiliated organisations it deplored the action of the British Government in suspending the Constitution.-

In a letter to these organisations the executive said it believes an attempt should have been'made t 0 deal with the situation by using powers granted to the Governor in the Constitution. “The extreme power of suspending the Constitution should not have been used until constitutional safeguards had been tried and found ineffective.’’ The letter said the leaders of the People’s Progressive Party pursued a policy of communism and 'created a situation which necessitated movements of troops to ensure maintenance of law and order.

The letter advised local labour groups - not to provide platforms for speakers of the party now touring Britain, and not to co-operate with other bodies supporting them.