He had succeeded the late Forbes Burnham, the PNC's founder-leader, as President and party leader on his death in August 1985. Burnham died of heart failure while undergoing throat surgery at the State-run Georgetown Hospital.

Chairman of the PNC/R, Robert Corbin, who made an official announcement of Hoyte's death yesterday, following a conversation with his widow, Joyce, said that by virtue of the party's constitution, he has assumed leadership until a special congress meet to choose a successor to Hoyte.

Candidates nominated to contest against Hoyte for the party's leadership at its biennial congress earlier this year withdrew and left him unchallenged, though with the understanding that leadership succession was now on the PNC/R's agenda.

Hoyte had said before the biennial congress that he did not wish to be found in the leadership position of the party when he celebrates his 74th birthday in March 2003.

Yesterday, Corbin disclosed that he was informed by Mrs. Hoyte that her husband had just completed his breakfast and was taking a cup of tea to her when he collapsed on the stairs. They managed to have a very brief conversation before he passed away.

Hoyte would best be remembered as the PNC leader who managed to liberalise the policies and politics of the party with the death of Burnham, under whose maximum leadership had spawned the doctrine of "party paramountcy".

Hailed during the first post-Burnham election campaign in 1985 as the "Silver Fox", a description linked to a full head of grey hair and his craftiness as a politician, Hoyte was to abolish the controversial system of overseas and postal voting that had characterised elections under the Burnham years from 1968.

His new liberal approach to multi-party democracy led him to an agreement with then Opposition Leader of the PPP, Dr Cheddi Jagan, for a bi-partisan Elections Commission with arrangements to guarantee free and fair elections, as discussed with former United States President Jimmy Carter.

When the elections, simultaneously for a President and Parliament took place in October 1992, the PNC was defeated after some 28 successive years in power and Jagan became President. Jagan died in office, also of a heart attack, in March 1997. He was 79.

But Hoyte remained a formidable foe of the PPP with the passing of Jagan and was particularly harsh in his criticisms of and opposition to his widow, Mrs. Janet Jagan, who defeated him for the presidency at the 1997 general election.

A high-level dialogue he started with President Jagdeo following the PPP/C's third electoral victory in March 2001, was put "on hold" by Hoyte in April this year when he also launched a boycott of Parliament.

The boycott, still in force at the time of his death yesterday, was in protest, he said, against the Government's failure to implement measures agreed to. The Government repeatedly denied this claim and urged the PNC/R to end its boycott.

One of the more significant unfinished business at the time of his death was a draft anti-crime communique that a social partners group wanted to be signed by the Government and all parliamentary parties to deal more effectively with the spate of murders and criminal violence afflicting the country.

That would now be further delayed until in the New Year when clarity is expected on the policies and politics of the PNC/R under Corbin's leadership until a successor to Hoyte is finally settled.

In a message of condolence released yesterday afternoon, President Jagdeo extended on behalf of the Government and all Guyanese his sincerest condolences to Mrs. Hoyte and the PNC/R on the passing of Hoyte, a Senior Counsel and one of the recipients of the country's highest honour, the Order of Excellence (OE).