Dear Editor,
In Miranda La Rose’s article headlined, “PNCR levels 11 misconduct charges against Mc Allister” (SN 07-10-02) it was stated that “The final charge was that at a meeting held at the party’s regional office in Region Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands) on August 14 where Corbin along with ‘Officers of that Region’ and party functionaries met to discuss the proposed house-to-house registration, McAllister ‘refused to stand for the recital of the party’s prayer and the National Pledge; remaining seated while others stood; thus displaying disrespect’ for the prayer, pledge, and Corbin.” It was also stated that, “This behaviour, the party said was unbecoming of a party member, moreso a Member of Parliament and a Party Regional Chairman.” In order to put this matter in proper prospective it is essential that I reveal for public assessment what actually transpired on August 14, 2007 at the party’s regional, Vreed-en-Hoop.
On or about Wednesday, August 8, 2007, as regional chairman, I advised regional secretary, Ms Melissa Payne, to summon a regional committee meeting on Tuesday August 14, 2007. The purpose of the meeting was to initiate arrangements for the holding of the party’s regional congress.
A few hours before the meeting I was asked by a member of the committee if I was aware that Mr Robert Corbin was coming to the meeting? I responded in the negative but indicated that if Mr. Corbin wants to attend any regional committee meeting he can since he is the leader of the party having been elected to that position in 2004.
About 20 minutes after the meeting started Mr Corbin walked in and he was accorded the normal respect as he entered. I announced his arrival and invited the members to stand and then I invited Mr Corbin to sit at the head table. As soon as he was seated Mr Corbin asked me how long the meeting had started and I told him. He then asked me to suspend the standing orders since he was there to address a specific matter.
I complied and gave the floor to Mr Corbin. At this point Mr Corbin stood and most unexpectedly called upon everyone present to stand to recite the national pledge and say the party’s prayer as is normally done at the commencement of a meeting.
As a matter of principle I did not stand since I concluded that the prayer and the pledge were being used as a cheap political tool to undermine my standing as chairman of the region and chairman of the meeting. I refused to be a willing participant in a scheme aimed at belittling me.
The fact is, when Mr. Corbin stood and invited persons to stand to repeat the pledge and the prayer, a meeting was already in progress and the saying of the prayer and recital of the pledge were not necessary. How my refusal to be complicit in this scheme constitutes behaviour unbecoming of a party regional chairman boggles my mind.
Yours faithfully,
James K Mc Allister
