Dear Editor,
When I was Executive Officer at Modern Optical Service, Mrs Viola Burnham, widow of President Forbes Burnham, came in one day and while there had a conversation with myself and two of my relatives. She said, among other things, that what is needed is a new PNC. She was not advocating a name change, but something more fundamental, deep-rooted and meaningful. After many years had passed, the party announced itself as the ‘New’ PNC. Many looked forward with hope and interest in seeing new attitudes, behaviour and conduct by the party, but this hope turned out to be vain, and it became obvious, in a short time, that it was just a public relations gimmick, evoking such comments by some, that a leopard cannot change its spots. Subsequently, a group of prominent individuals, most not known to be linked with the ‘New’ PNC aligned themselves as a Reform group, and the party then announced itself as the PNC Reform. Again there was a burgeoning of hope in the minds of many members, supporters, and the public at large, that the party would have a new philosophy, a new slant, new actions – more constructive and positive − for the good of the country.
But again, this was not to be, as the party retained its old ways. Using different pretexts and excuses, members of the Reform group gave up and dropped out, I guess because of frustration and hopelessness of ever exercising any influence for the better over this party. There then came another change, with the addition of One Guyana or 1G, ( PNCR-1G), which some mischievously wrote as PNCR1G. These changes all turned out to be just name changes – public relations gimmicks, usually introduced just before the start of elections campaigning, but the old attitudes and behaviour persisted, and we again heard comments that a leopard cannot change its spots. Now, there are further disagreements and disillusionment among senior executives, rank and file members, supporters and others, and the party continues to self-destruct, causing dismay in the minds of founder-members, long-standing core members and supporters and others, and only those who are self-delusional would now consider this party to be a possible alternative government, and no one else is to blame.
Yours faithfully,
John Da Silva
