Guyana: Whether political parties issue membership cards and/or letters of attestation; examples of the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and People's National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) party membership cards and letters of attestation (May 2004)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 27 May 2004 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | GUY42610.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Guyana: Whether political parties issue membership cards and/or letters of attestation; examples of the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and People's National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) party membership cards and letters of attestation (May 2004) , 27 May 2004, GUY42610.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/41501c121e.html [accessed 29 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In a 7 May 2004 telephone interview with the Research Directorate, the People's National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) party General Secretary provided the following information: the PNC/R does indeed provide membership cards; prior to 2002 these cards bore a photograph of the cardholder. The design of the card had undergone some changes over time. However, as of 2002, a new type of membership card, which does not contain a photograph, has been issued. Membership must be renewed once a year, at which time a new card is issued to the party member. The general secretary provided no further information.
According to the PNC/R Website, under the "Get Involved" section (n.d.a), persons wishing to become members can download a form, complete and sign it and send it with 10 dollars (currency type not specified) to the PNC/R Membership Department at the Congress Place, Sophia, Georgetown (n.d.b; PNC/R n.d.c). Moreover, in a 16 August 2002 speech that appears on the PNC/R Website, the general secretary of the party noted that as of 1 June 2002,
every Party member or prospective member is required to complete the new Membership Application form which makes provision for the Group Secretary to issue an official receipt to the applicant upon payment of the new prescribed fee of one hundred ($100) dollars [Can$0.77 (Oanda 7 May 2004)]. This receipt will be prima facie evidence of membership until the membership card becomes available. A computer generated membership card will be provided for each member annually on the payment of the renewal fee of one hundred ($100) dollars. The membership year of the Party remains 1st June to 31st May thus making all cards issued for the year 2002/2003 invalid after 31st May 2003 (PNC/R 16 Aug. 2002).
As of 27 May 2004, information about the reason for the existence of two different fees-the $10 amount in unspecified currency and the $100 Guyanese dollar amount-for the membership card could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
With regard to the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), documentary sources could not provide information on whether the party issued membership cards or letters of attestation. In a 12 May 2004 telephone interview, the General Secretary of the PPP/C stated that the party does provide a membership card to each of its members. Each membership card is valid for two years and after this period the membership is considered lapsed (PPP/C 12 May 2004). The General secretary provided no further information.
The Research Directorate did not obtain sample copies of the PPP/C and PNC/R membership cards within the time constraints of this Information Request.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Oanda. 7 May 2004. "FXConverter - 164 Currency Converter Results." People's National Congress/Reform (PNC/R). 7 May 2004. Telephone interview with the General Secretary.
____. 16 August 2002. "General Secretary's Report." ____. n.d.a. "Get Involved." ____. n.d.b. "Membership." ____. n.d.c. "Membership Form." People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). 12 May 2004. Telephone interview with the General Secretary's secretary.
Additional Sources Consulted
Guyana Consul in Toronto representative did not respond to information request within time constraints.
Internet sites: Guyana Chronicle [Georgetown], PPP/C Website, Stabroek News [Georgetown], World News Connection/Dialog.
