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Aug 24, 2010 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom
Just before former Vice President Viola Burnham died, a project was initiated to redeem the image and reputation of the former Executive President of Guyana, Forbes Burnham. It was feared that with the passage of time, the exploits of Guyana’s first Prime Minister and Executive President, would be forgotten. This was too dreadful of a proposition to contemplate.
Those behind the Burnham project, however, knew that merely recapping the live achievements and career of Forbes Burnham would never be sufficient to preserving a favourable memory. For Burnham’s memory to live on, it was necessary for the party that he formed, the People’s National Congress to return to the Burnham fold.
So, all those who may have political ambitions about holding the leadership of the PNCR should be reminded that whoever succeeds Mr. Robert Corbin will have to be someone that would ensure that the Burnham legacy remains intact. The person to succeed Mr. Corbin, whenever that time comes, will have to be a Burnhamite.
There is no way that the PNCR is going to hand the leadership of the party to anyone other than someone who they will trust to keep the memory and legacy of Forbes Burnham alive.
The PNCR is not going to hand the leadership to any newcomer. They are not going to hand the party over to anyone who is untried and inexperienced. They will ensure that the future leader of the PNCR will be someone who can be trusted to secure the legacy of Forbes Burnham.
Since there is no person right now on the horizon to assume such a role, the party will have no choice but to convince the present leader, Robert Corbin, to stay on as leader, if he so desires.
In all the criticisms that have been made so far about the incumbent leader of the PNCR, there has been great disrespect for the present office holder.
Burnham, we are told was a visionary – a man before his time. But what the critics of Mr. Corbin are ignoring is that the fastest rising star ever in the history of the PNCR was Robert Herman Orlando Corbin. No other leader in the history of the PNC has been so elevated in so short a time.
It was Forbes Burnham who recognised the leadership qualities of Robert Corbin. It was Forbes Burnham who recognised Mr. Corbin’s special abilities. It was Forbes Burnham who trusted to have Mr. Corbin by his side during important political exchanges with the then PPP.
Mr. Corbin was not plucked from political obscurity. He earned every accolade and position that he attained within the party. He came through the ranks and came through rapidly on the back of his special abilities. He waited his turn for the leadership of the party. He did not try to unseat anyone who was above him. He waited his turn and he served his party. Yet today his leadership is being questioned. He has only lost one general election as leader of the PNCR. Mr. Hoyte lost three. Yet there are calls for Mr. Corbin to demit the leadership of the party.
He says that he is not going to lead the PNCR into the next elections. He is no doubt still hoping for a broad-based political alliance to contest next year’s elections against the ruling PPP. But he has not yet conceded the leadership of the party. There is no reason why he should. His leadership of the party is not likely to stand in the way of the PNCR entering into a broad-based alliance, even though there are forces who are making this an issue.
The PNCR will eventually have to face the issue as to who will lead the party in the future. The person chosen will have to be an experienced hand. It will have to be someone committed to keeping the memory of Burnham alive and someone who the party faithfuls are confident will not abandon the project started some years ago.
There are only two persons at the moment, outside of Mr. Corbin, who can assume that role. But both persons are too far outside the loop at the moment and are not likely to enjoy the confidence of the party’s delegates.
As such it seems inevitable that the PNCR will have to plead with Mr. Corbin to continue on as leader until such time as a suitable successor can be found to carry on the name of Forbes Burnham, whose 25th death anniversary is being observed this month.
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