The two main challengers to incumbent PNCR leader Robert Corbin are expected to announce an alliance today.
With just a day before the start of the main opposition’s 16th Biennial Congress, Stabroek News understands that an agreement has been reached between nominees for leader Dr. Richard Van West-Charles and Winston Murray. Van West-Charles and Murray are scheduled to hold a joint press conference this afternoon, where it is expected that Van West-Charles would announce his withdrawal from the race and his endorsement of Murray.
Stabroek News has been told that their partnership is an indication of various persons uniting around a common purpose to rescue the party. Additionally, there has been concern that the separate campaigns could split the vote, ensuring a Corbin victory. The current leader has so far received the highest number of nominations from party groups.
Murray’s recent decision to run is seen as an important development in light of the disaffection with the Corbin’s leadership and the need for the party to present a new image to the public in the wake of several demoralising occurrences, and in particular the crushing defeat at the 2006 general elections. He has said he accepted the nomination for party leader after being encouraged to do so by a number of persons within the PNCR. Last year, he resigned as Chairman of the party and stated as his reason the party’s public departure from a position he took while acting as party leader.
Murray recently said that the leadership of the party has become “impotent,” which has led to disrespect by the government. In an impassioned but short address at the Georgetown District Conference, he said that was “hurt” when he sees how the government has no regard for the party and opined that it has been mainly due to the weak leadership. Admitting that he also has to take some blame for the weak leadership as up to recently he was part of it, Murray called for a militant approach by the party and called on its leadership to take its membership to the streets. This statement resulted in loud applause from the very vocal audience at the conference.
However, he lamented that when the party called for its members to take to the streets, many stay at home.
Meanwhile, Van West-Charles earlier in the month noted that over the last five years the PNCR has suffered precipitous diminution, affecting its ability to effectively fulfil its mandate. “The steady departure of talented and established leaders from the ranks of the Party has now reached crisis proportions and is resulting in disconnect between the Party and its constituency,” he told members in a letter, canvassing for their support. “Over this period there have been several changes in the leadership team giving support to the Leader but the problem still persists.
It is now clear that there is need for a new Leader who can motivate Party members at all levels to give their best effort. We must reunite and rebuild our Party,” he said.