We don’t have five years

Oct 20, 2010 Letters

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Dear Editor,
After reading Kaieteur News columnists Peeping Tom; “No need for the PNCR to look for a leader” October 18, 2010; I came away convinced that the PNCR needs a new direction and new leadership.
In making his case for the current leadership, the writer seems to contradict himself; “What the party needs is a leader for the future, someone that can unite the party.”
This is instructive because earlier in his article he speaks to Mr. Winston Murray being denied three times by the party, and Mr. Vincent Alexander’s failed quest for the PNCR leadership.
What he failed to articulate was that Mr. Corbin was the beneficiary of the so called back room machinations that elevated him to the leadership over Murray; and it was Mr. Corbin that Mr. Alexander was trying to unseat as party leader.
Also, one must not forget the Van West Charles- Murray et al challenge for the Leadership at the last party congress. All these incidents and their cumulative effects helped create the schism within the party; a schism that will not go away until the party at its highest level is committed to party unity and change.
Mr. Corbin, to his credit, has taken the first step, and so far is saying all the right things. He said he will not seek the party’s nomination for President.
He has shown great leadership and a genuine interest in shared governance, and coalition building.  He has articulated on several occasions that Guyana cannot move forward without the full participation by all sections of its population.
So let us take Mr. Corbin at his word. The past leaders of the PNC, Forbes Burnham, and Hugh Desmond Hoyte have secured their legacies. Mr. Corbin is still a work in progress.
Unlike his predecessors, he never got the brass ring, but he can have a bigger impact and a greater legacy.
By his own admission Corbin said that the party needs to find someone who would enjoy the confidence of the majority of the people in the country.
If by stepping aside, Mr. Corbin can be the one that ushers in this new party leadership; that has as its mission party unity and its vision racial harmony and shared governance.
If working as an Elder-Statesman, Mr. Corbin can help secure this type of change, then he will not only make the PNCR relevant for another generation, but he would secure a place among the party giants, and a national legacy that will stand the test of time.
Peeping Tom, speaks of fairness and meritocracy in the selection of party leaders, and asks the people of Guyana to endure another five years of Narco-terrorism, failed governance, and total disregard for the rule of law, by the PPP Regime.
He is asking the nation to wait until the PNCR moulds a team to compete at elections in 2016. Such lunacy is what got us here in the first place. It is time we all take a long hard look in the mirror. It seems Mr. Corbin has taken that look and realizes the urgency of the moment. We don’t have another five years.
“The PNCR cannot win next year’s election. It has no chance what so ever of doing so.” This is quite an emphatic pronouncement with no collaborating evidence, coming from someone who considers himself a serious columnist. My guess is that he is basing his prediction on Indo-Guyanese voting patterns in past elections cycles.
But there is a reason why we have elections; they give the people an opportunity to select their leaders. Supporters of the PPP have a choice, and the case must be made by the opposition; The PPP is on trial, it must be made to run on its record.
What have two decades of PPP rule brought you? Are you better off than you were five years ago? Are your schools better? Are your neighborhoods safe?
The defendant PPP must answer the following; Who was responsible for the extra-judicial killings? Who authorized and controlled the Phantom squads?
How did Guyana under the PPP regime become a major trans-shipment point for narcotics to the western hemisphere?
If the historic base of the PPP feel strongly that Guyana is heading in the right direction and are comfortable with the answers to the aforementioned questions, and the PPP is given five more years, then so be it; the people would have spoken.
I am a firm believer that people get the leadership they deserve. Elections have consequences. Power is in the hands of the electorate. We hire our leaders to manage our affairs and every five years we evaluate their performance; if we feel they have not done a good job, we should fire them.
Guyana and the PNCR are at the crossroads. A nation and a political party find themselves at a fork in the road. The Nation’s destiny lies in the hands of the voters (the people).
The people and the party must make a choice, for both the question is; Should we keep doing the same old thing over and over again expecting a different result? Or embark on a bold new course.
Will we ever live out our National motto; One people, one nation, one destiny? For our children’s sake I hope we will.
Mark A Archer
Atlanta. Ga.

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