All leaders must be asked to account

Dec 31, 2008 Letters

Dear Editor,
There seems to be an uprising to wake up or remove Mr. Robert Corbin. Some said Corbin did not do too badly, given what he was up against; some focus on the failures under his leadership; some demanded accountability and resignation as Leader of the Opposition if he doesn’t perform; others attacked the PNC and the late Desmond Hoyte.
There is merit and demerit in the arguments.
As the PNC demands accountability from the PPP, so too must Mr. Corbin and every leader be asked to account.
Mr. Robert Corbin is leader of the PNC and if his performance is handicapped by his intellectual complex and internal conflicts, it compromises his ability to lead effectively. There are instances, independent of internal conflicts and defections, where Corbin’s decisions have raised eyebrows about his leadership and commitment to the PNC. Since Corbin holds dual offices as Party Leader and Opposition Leader, one party driven and other constitutional driven, the concerns about his performance are legitimate. Those who voted for the PNC and the Parliamentary Opposition have a vested interest in what Corbin does. Conflict is natural in politics. Those that have succeeded are masters of human behaviours and the political arena he operates in.
Mr. Corbin should have made his intellectual superiors and the more experienced aware (and they’re always present in political parties and organisations) that as Leader he recognises these natural occurrences and will rely on their counsel in driving the programmes of the Party and Parliament. It is in his interest not to be intimidated or weak-footed.
The PNC and Parliamentary Opposition have no known vision for the country. With the absence of clear guidelines and leadership in the presence of human rights violation, government excesses and economic insecurity, it is natural to turn the spotlight on the alternative. In this case it’s the PNC, as the main opposition, and the Parliamentary Opposition as the counter legislative power.
Rakesk Rampertab suggests the PNC needs overarching democratic reforms, then proceeds to swipe the PNC for its legitimate activism under Mr. Hoyte’s leadership (see SN 24/12/2008).
Democracy is not only one man, one vote. Most importantly, democracy is the rule of the majority with the protection of the rights of the minorities. These pillars are interlocked, inseparable and necessary. When these fail people protest.
Given elections are racial censuses and voters have come to believe the Indian dominated PPP would always win, it should not automatically translate to accepting or justifying poor governance and ignoring the human rights of minorities or opposition groups. For the last 16 years this has been standard thought and practice. Inevitably it realises resistance by those who rightfully refuse to accept second class status. This has been Mr. Hoyte’s contention and informed his militancy over the years.
Election losses become sectional fights for justified shares at the table. The winner, as the executive government and majority legislators, wants to manage the state’s resources, contributed to by both winners and losers, at the exclusion of the losers.
With revenue being centrally collected and re-distributed, the oppressed will struggle for his share of inclusion and human rights respect.
Had the losers the opportunity to manage their affairs by collecting their taxes and determine spending through their regional or local governments, the current conflict would be markedly different. Since this does not exist, it is the Opposition’s job to ensure the minorities, losers and marginalised are protected.
Donald Isaacs

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