Dear Editor,
Stabroek News’s editorial of March 10, 2008 captioned “The ads boycott 16 months on,” calling on the PNCR to ensure equity in advertisement distribution from Region 4 RDC, that it controls, may be directing its appeal in the wrong direction.
The PNCR under Mr. Corbin’s leadership has taken a powerless posture to many of the atrocities inflicted on the people of Guyana by the PPP/C government.
This state of powerlessness is not one of weakness but one of choice. PNCR’s top brass continues to think that change can be effected by nagging, complaining and wishing the problems either go away or resolve themselves.
Listen to the many press releases and Nation Watch programmes. There is no substance to the use of the power within the leadership, even in areas where the party exercises control!
Mr Corbin is President General of the Guyana Labour Union. This union sits comfortably in the PPP/C controlled FITUG, where the GLU General Secretary, Mr. Carvil Duncan, is FITUG’s President.
The PPP continues to violate collective labour agreements, burden the working class with an unduly high VAT, increase wages below the inflation rate, unjustly punish the TUC and Critchlow Labour College by taking away their subventions, and has recently withdrawn government guard contract from the union-owned United Associates Security and Domestic Services (UAS&DS). Yet the PNCR which Mr Corbin leads will get up in Parliament and mouth condemnation of the government’s treatment and they usually end there. There will be no follow up action. The government will ignore Mr. Corbin because it controls FITUG and by extension Mr Corbin.
The increasing mess in the GLU is still to be resolved by President General Corbin. Carvil Duncan, the employee, continues to behave as chief policy maker and the chief policy maker, Mr. Corbin, is content to relinquish his elected responsibility and assume a powerless role in a situation he exercises power over.
Transfer this behaviour to Stabroek News, it becomes hard to have any expectations of Mr. Corbin. The PNCR leadership’s strength lies in talking not action. The PPP and Carvil Duncan are well aware of this.
Stabroek News and others have to look beyond the PNC and form alliances with groups and persons who are not afraid to talk and act. Forget the PNC. It is wishful thinking to expect action and results!
Yours faithfully,
Thomas Abraham
