Shortly after Corbin's widely expected election as the new PNC/R Leader Saturday, Mr. Jagdeo extended congratulations and invited him to meet at a mutually convenient date and time at the Office of the President.

President Jagdeo, in a letter, restated his openness "to engagements which can bring about improved relations between the Government and the main opposition party in the interest of our nation", the Office of the President said in a release.

It said Mr. Jagdeo had invited the new PNC/R Leader to a meeting at the Office of the President "at a mutually convenient date and time".

In a letter in response which was released to the media at the PNC/R weekly news conference yesterday, Corbin accepted the invitation to meet and outlined several areas for an agenda.

"As you may be aware, I have already publicly expressed my party's commitment to the resolution of the matters of national interest which are of concern to us. Consequently, it is hoped that these issues can be resolved through constructive engagement", Corbin said.

Matters of immediate concern identified in the letter included: the deteriorating situation in the bauxite communities; the national security situation; unresolved issues which led to the Parliamentary impasse; implementation of decisions of the dialogue process (between President Jagdeo and the late PNC/R Leader, Mr. Desmond Hoyte); the deteriorating economic situation nationally with special emphasis on the absence of job opportunities for youth, and the impending increases in electricity rates by the Guyana Power and Light Inc.