An opportunity for PNCR to regain credibility that was seriously damaged at the last congress

May 27, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
The 16th Biennial Congress of the People’s National Congress will be held from August 21 to 23, 2009. It is an opportunity for the PNCR to regain the credibility that was so seriously damaged after the last congress.
Dr. Richard Van West Charles has indicated an interest in contesting for the leader position of the Party. In response I expected the party leadership, not necessarily Mr. Robert Corbin, to ensure a transparent and credible electoral process. I expected people like Mr. Aubrey Norton, Lance Carberry, Aubrey Armstrong and Clarissa Rhiel to insist that the issues of distribution of membership forms and nomination forms be impartially handled. I expect this because I know that these people are aware that another tainted electoral process will do irreparable damage to the PNCR.
Instead what happened? Mr. Corbin and his cronies seized control of the membership process. The membership room is off limits to all staff members at Congress Place but junior party members aligned to Mr. Corbin are making the room their haunt. Even District and Regional Offices have been seized and party members perceived to be supportive of Dr. Van West Charles are being met with hostility.
In Georgetown, anyone who approaches the District Office to uplift renewal forms on behalf of their group is asked to wait until a call is made to Congress Place for permission to deliver the forms. Once permission is granted the person then receives twelve (12) forms; 12 is the minimum amount of persons requires for a group. Therefore if a group has 30 members the group chairman is required to make three trips to the district office for his entire group membership to be renewed. However, people close to Mr. Corbin are given hundreds of forms.
In addition there are myriad examples of where PNCR officials are acting to undermine the democratic process. For instance:
1. During interrogation by the General Secretary, one group chairman mentioned a particular member’s name. He was promptly told by Clarke that he should not involve that member in his group, since the member is not on “their” side. The General Secretary should not be concerned with sides.
2. A GYSM group chairman was told that permission has to be sought from Clarke before any forms can be issued to her group, because she openly spoke against Corbin.
3. Various officials of the PNCR have extended the party offices to their cars and have been driving around with the membership forms instead of making them available at offices where they can be uplifted. Efforts to contact them by the telephone are futile for some people and so these people can obtain no forms. A case in point is the chairman of Region No. 3 who is suddenly incommunicado and members of the region cannot find him to access membership forms.
4. Amna Ally, Head of Party Organisation, has been calling members telling them that there could be consequences if they do not give their support to Corbin.
One PNCR official who recently announced that Corbin will be contesting for the position of Leader has been giving the members strange reasons why they must support Corbin. According to her the PNCR cannot win any election so it makes no sense to remove Corbin to improve its electoral chances. This is preposterous. Here we have a band of fat-cat, sitting at the top of the party enjoying fat parliamentary benefits, telling members and supporters to forget about winning elections. I do not agree that the PNCR cannot win, but I do know it cannot win with Corbin and company. Therefore I see no reason why I must sacrifice my self interest so that Corbin, Ally et al can benefit.
I want my party to be in office and I want it to be representing me forcefully. So now that we know that Corbin and his team have accepted that they are not up to the task I must ask them to go home.
2011 elections is water-shed election for the PNCR. In 2006 it lost 20% of the seats it held in the parliament – all to the AFC.
If the AFC gains another five of the PNCR seats in 2011 it would acquire a critical mass that makes it the PNCR electoral equal. This situation can set the PNCR into free-fall at future elections. What Corbin and Ally seem not to recognise is that the future of the PNCR is at stake. But I must ask the question, do they care?
Shellon Browne

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