Lenox Ron O'Dell Shuman[1] (born 13 September 1973)[2] is a Guyanese politician who has served as Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Guyana since 2 September 2020.[3] He is also the founder and leader of the Liberty and Justice Party.[4]
Lenox Shuman | |
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Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Guyana | |
Assumed office 2 September 2020 | |
Member of the National Assembly | |
Assumed office 2 September 2020 | |
Personal details | |
Born | 13 September 1973 St. Cuthbert's Mission, Guyana | (age 50)
On 2 September 2020, Shuman became the first Indigenous-Guyanese to become Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.[5]
Shuman was born on 13 September 1973. His mother was of mixed race, and his father descended from a long line of Lokono chiefs.[6] In 1990, the family emigrated to Canada. He graduated from Confederation College in business and obtained a pilot licence.[2] Before entering the world of politics, Shuman was a Canadian citizen working as a pilot for Sunwing Airlines.[7] In 2009, he married Amanda Van Herten.[2]
In 2009,[2] Shuman returned to Guyana, and was elected toshao (village chief) for St. Cuthbert's Mission in 2015.[5][2] The same year,[2] he was elected vice-chairman of the National Toshaos Council.[5] In 2019, the courts ruled that members of the National Assembly had to have Guyanese citizenship only,[8] therefore Shuman relinquished his Canadian citizenship, to form the Liberty and Justice Party and run for president in the March 2020 Guyanese general election.[7]