THE OLD HEADS WILL PREVAIL

Jan 15, 2011 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

Young people need to be encouraged to take an active role in politics. Jagan and Burnham were both young men when they commenced their political careers.
Within the PNCR and the PPP are a number of youngsters keen on active politics, including those bold and ambitious enough to challenge for the party’s presidential candidate for this year’s elections. While youth should be encouraged, what is needed in the present circumstances is matured and experienced leadership.
The PNCR has in Robert Corbin an able leader who has clearly read the political signals that are emanating from society. He has opted not to contest his party’s presidential candidate. Mr. Corbin is by far the more experienced and seasoned political campaigner within his party, other than Mr. Hamilton Green, and while his political strategy has been criticised, it was necessary given the fallout that the party suffered as a result of political extremism both within and outside of the party.
To have courted confrontation with the ruling party would have played into the hands of the PPP who wishes to project the PNCR as being a violent, destructive force in this country. It would have undermined reconciliation which the PNCR, under Corbin, recognised as necessary for the PNCR to overcome its statistical disadvantage at elections.
It would have also played into the hands of the extremists outside and within the party who wanted to take the leadership in a different direction and who were keen on undermining Desmond Hoyte.
The PNCR has opted for a new presidential candidate. But the position of leader is not up for grabs. And this is because this contest for the presidential candidate is not about finding a successor to Mr. Corbin.
What the PNCR is attempting to do is to find a consensus candidate on which to build an election alliance against the PPPC. It has analysed that Mr. Corbin will not be acceptable to the other opposition political parties and forces and therefore it is opening up itself to identifying a candidate that will be acceptable to the other opposition parties as a consensus candidate.
Whoever is chosen as the party’s presidential candidate will be offered to the other opposition parties as a consensus candidate to oppose the PPP, but will not become the leader of the PNCR. That position is reserved for Mr. Corbin.
The PNCR has therefore virtually conceded that it cannot defeat the PPP on its own. Unlike 1968 when Mr. Burnham said that the PNCR will never again enter into a coalition government, the PNCR has now decided that its only chance of winning power is through an opposition alliance.
What is likely to unfold is that the PNCR will, having selected a candidate, open negotiations with the other opposition parties. The PNCR will offer its candidate as the chosen one and hope that the all- opposition alliance accepts.
It is hoping that it can woo the electorate to reject the PPP and then have its candidate serve as President and then, most likely ask that the leader of the party succeed that candidate. Whether the consensus candidate will oblige is another thing.
The PPP can be beaten but it will take much more than an all opposition alliance to defeat the incumbent party. It is difficult at this stage to see how the PPP can be defeated, but stranger and unpredictable things have happened in politics.
In light of these maneuvers, it is doubtful that there can be any place for any young presidential candidate in either camp. The PNCR has a very good young man who is contesting for leadership but he may have to wait his turn as will those in the PPP whose names are being canvassed as possible outsiders to join that party’s nominee for the presidential candidate.
Some of the names being bandied about in the PPP are one Robert, one Irfaan, one Frank, and an Ashni. But given the political strategies that are at work those youthful faces will have to take a backseat this time around to the older and sober heads.
Alliance politics within the opposition will force the PPP to go for an old head so as to ensure that it does not risk losing votes unnecessarily because of inexperience. And the PNCR will identify an experienced person as its candidate.

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THE OLD HEADS WILL PREVAIL

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