Dear Editor,
Since Mr Corbin announced his intention not to seek re-election to serve as leader of the PNCR, there have begun to emerge all kinds of pundits, real or fictional, who have started to occupy the letter sections of the local newspapers to pedal all kinds of reasons for Mr Corbin’s perceived failures and/or successes.
Some will make it their duty to attempt to again promote internal division in the PNCR by launching their media campaigns to pit potential contenders for the office of party leader against each other.
I urge members and supporters of the PNCR not to fall prey to these covert attempts to promote disunity amongst us; we have a rich heritage of spirited campaigns but at no time must we engage in public vilification of our leaders, present and past, who have worked to improve things in our country and party, and are continuing to make positive impacts, even today.
The PNCR has travelled the long and arduous road of political maturity and has picked up many scars along the way, so let us use our history and our immediate past to build on that maturity and not fall victim to our detractors.
Those of us who seek election to higher party office must also take care to ensure that our actions do not encourage unnecessary public excursions into the vilification of any of us. This significant congress of 2012 provides us with a unique opportunity to continue to demonstrate good and sober political leadership.
Let us build on what we have so proudly accomplished, and encourage others to follow our lead. I am not naïve enough to believe that our achievements are complete, rather I would admit that we still have more ground to cover, although I am confident that we are closer to achieving those noble objectives for the people.
The journey towards a government of national unity was started many moons ago by our founder leaders. Like every organization we have made our share of errors and have learnt and grown from them; it is time to continue to build this land that belongs to all of us.
Let me be the first to salute Mr Corbin for his bold leadership and join with others to impress upon him that he should continue to provide positive political leadership to Guyana, even though he may not be leader of the PNCR. He has done this before and I am confident that he will do it again. I believe that his decision to leave office while he is still here with us, a point he always makes, provides us with a unique opportunity to express gratitude to him at a time when he can appreciate it. For I believe it to be more valuable to express gratitude at a time when we each have the mental faculties and breath to appreciate same.
For those who are quick to judge and vilify I say, sometimes we have to demonstrate the capacity to take the high road and, as the saying goes, just ‘give jack he jacket.’
Mr Corbin no doubt has made his share of mistakes, for it is human to do so, but we must acknowledge that he’s surely worth his salt. It is an irrefutable fact that he has spent many decades in public office, in which he served Guyana faithfully. His refusal to give up on the PNC in its most difficult times is unselfish and demonstrates his commitment to party. Mr Corbin has been maligned and vilified many times over, but never quit on the country and party and has resisted the many temptations to seek greener pastures for his personal enrichment.
For this I salute him. More importantly, however, is that under his leadership the party and Guyana have come closer to achieving national consensus, a legacy which is rightly his. The APNU is undoubtedly, a living testament to the leadership of Robert Corbin, and I ask his critics to judge objectively.
Yours faithfully,
Lurlene Nestor