The leading nominee for Chairman of the PNCR, Basil Williams yesterday announced that he would be willing to “step aside” for an Indo-Guyanese candidate, preserving the party’s tradition as a multi-ethnic institution.
“I won’t have a difficulty, for example, if we have a candidate who is Indo-Guyanese… who wishes also to run for the Chairman and we believe it is in the best interest of the party to have such a candidate and in the interest of the country,” he told a news conference at the party’s Congress Place headquarters, adding, “I would gladly step aside to facilitate that.”
Williams, co-Vice Chair of the main opposition party, currently leads all the nominees for chairman ahead of this weekend’s Biennial Delegates’ Congress, but said it does not necessarily mean he would contest.
“If, for example, there is a situation where I believe I ought not to contest in the interest of the party, one, and in the interest of the country, I won’t contest,” he said. Asked whether such a situation existed, he said there would be, while referring to the PNCR’s tradition as an “all-inclusive” and “multi-ethnic” party.
In addition to Williams, other nominees for Chairman included Dr Aubrey Armstrong, Deborah Backer, Oscar Clarke, Robert Corbin, Clement Corlette, Hamilton Green, Dr Dalgleish Joseph, Kadim Khan, Volda Lawrence, Winston Murray, Aubrey Norton, Dr George Norton, Cammie Ramsaroop, Clarissa Riehl and Dr Richard Van-West Charles. It is unclear which of the nominees accepted the nominations.
Murray, the previous Chairman, resigned from the post last year owing to the party’s public departure from a position he took while acting as leader.
Last week, he announced that he accepted a nomination to contest to be party leader.
Asked whether he would support an Indo-Guyanese as party leader with an Afro-Guyanese serving as the Chairman, Williams said the same reasoning would apply. “If the party believes-and if we in the party believe-that at that time it is in the interest of the party… and the people of Guyana that we have such a candidate, then by all means,” he said, “I don’t have any prejudices against any race or any Guyanese, in fact, we [are] all in this together.”
On the specific question of whether he would support a PNCR led by Murray, Williams said he would if it is in the interest of the party. He added that if Murray were to contest and win, he would support him, while noting that there was no disputing that he possesses the attributes that would make him suitable for leadership as recognised by the party over the years.
Williams was among current party executives who showed support for incumbent Robert Corbin’s candidacy for PNCR Leader on Tuesday. It was significant since he himself had received a nomination for the post. Williams said yesterday that he never “seriously” put himself out for leader. “I never really evinced any interest in running for that position,” he explained. Asked why he chose to endorse Corbin’s candidacy, he noted that the current leader had the highest number of nominations among party groups. “We found that he has the right to contest the position, if he so desires, he has a right,” he said, adding, “I personally didn’t have a difficulty.”
Additionally, he noted that Corbin had a wealth of experience, having come through the ranks of the party from his youth. Further, he noted that Corbin has served in the highest level of the government. “If he decides that he wishes to run again and he canvasses my support I don’t have a difficulty in giving him my support,” he declared.
