The PNCR yesterday unanimously passed a resolution expressing confidence in its leader Robert Corbin and the leadership of the party, at the first general council held after it lost much ground in the last general elections.

PNCR General Secretary, Oscar Clarke told Stabroek News yesterday after the one-day meeting at the party's headquarters, Congress Place, Sophia, that leadership was not an issue for the General Council members and it was not an agenda item. However, Corbin had told this newspaper in a recent interview that the issue of leadership would have been discussed at the General Council.

Clarke said that in his address to the council, Corbin said that if and when he was ready to relinquish the post of leader of the party, the membership would be the first to know and this would not be done by way of the press.

Nevertheless, the members, who came from all the administrative regions, moved the resolution expressing confidence since the issue of leadership of the party had been mooted by party supporters as one of the reasons for the party losing support rather than gaining during the last elections.

According to Clarke, the meeting, which broke into ten workshops following Corbin's two-hour address focused on five areas. Three of these dealt with the reasons why the party would have lost the elections by five seats compared to previous elections; what needs to be done to ensure that the party regains lost ground and gets on a winning course; and the approach of the party to municipal and local government elections. The other workshop topics dealt with how and what needs to be done to increase the influence of the party at the community and national levels and what should be done to ensure that the party has the financial and other resources needed to make it more vibrant, as well as what the party needs to do to develop a vibrant leadership.