Dear Editor,

Before I wrote my letter in support of Aubrey Norton's public call for Mr. Hoyte to give up leadership of the PNC/R, I told a friend of mine that rather than dealing with the substance of the article, his supporters will respond with personal attacks. My prediction was accurate.

Mr. Grant your personal attacks do not negate the fact the PNC/R is a party on the decline and attacking Aubrey, Mr.Edwards and myself would not change that fact. An examination of the party's records will show a pattern of declining membership with the ascension of Desmond Hoyte as its leader. If the party is stronger than it has ever been, publish the data that prove increased people's invovlement. After all the membership and active involvement of people in groups is the lifeline of a political party.

While dialogue with the President is a commendable act and the establishment of the various committees could possibly lead to better goverance and accountability by the Government, there are many other things that need to be done to retain present membership and attract new members to the fold. When I was a member of the party I visited groups at places like Enmore, Enterprise, Lusignan, Mortice, Lethem, Nappy, Annai, Albion and Rose Hall just to name a few. We serviced those groups, we aggressively recruited membership, we had programmes that interested the people and by and large we offered sound and enlightened leadership to the masses. During my visit to Guyana in July, I spent a month in my native Victoria Village which at one time had three functioning groups, none was functioning.

Sour grapes has nothing to do with the facts, the PNC/R under the leadership of Desmond Hoyte has failed the people pure and simple. No public relations spin, attempts at character assassination nor deflection of blame can change that fact. Your leader lacks vision and foresight, his firing me backfired, he thought he was being punitive, but it was a blessing in disguise. I thank him every day of my life for his actions on Friday, March 13, 1987.

Mr. Grant the question you should ask yourself is, after losing three elections can the PNC/R as presently organised and functioning mount a successful election campaign? I have moved on with my life, I will not flaunt my personal achievements and successes in the faces of my less fortunate bretheren. I, however, would like to see an improvement in the quality of life of all Guyanese and the political leadership in Guyana seems not to have the ability to mobilise the people and our resources to improve the nation's living standards. I am not your enemy, the enemy is within the party. There is still time to rescue the party from total destruction, but what is left of the membership has to act now, time is not on your side.

In closing I'd like to say to Mr. Grant that when it comes to his views on political hatred, he and his colleagues at Congress Place should look in a mirror. Further, "the dinasaurs became extinct because they did not adjust to the environment" and those who are willing to defend their leader at all cost should take note.