The PNCR says it is awaiting indications from GECOM before publicly launching its campaign to contest the 2011 general elections with party leader Robert Corbin declaring he intends to be fully involved in the process.

This was relayed on Thursday by Corbin during the party’s weekly news briefing at Congress Place, Sophia. However, he said a series of meetings is already underway across the country to sensitise the ordinary citizenry about the important issues that confront them in the upcoming elections.  The party’s presidential candidate retired Brigadier is integrally involved in those meetings.

Corbin added that it was important to get people registered and they have been assisting them with getting up their source documents to ensure they will be able to register during the Claims and Objections period which will commence next month. According to Corbin, GECOM has been shifting the date for the exercise which was last slated to begin on April 4.  

“In terms of the public campaign that is a matter for timing and I believe when we see signs from GECOM and the publication of qualifying dates et cetera that will probably signal the time what you are looking for, that is the public launch. But we at the moment don’t have the exact dates, we have indicative timeframes but we are indeed working, not alone but with the Joint Opposition Parties as well in this regard,” the party leader said. 

He added that there is a campaign committee in place which has been meeting but he was reluctant to share more details on the operation of the body.

Meanwhile, Corbin was adamant in his rejection of calls for him to “take a backseat” as party leader in the run up to the elections saying that no Guyanese who was ‘interested in progress” should think that way.

“Every Guyanese, every member of the PNCR, every member of every opposition party, all Guyanese who have been affected by the excesses of this administration, who are insulted by the behaviour of the president and the kind of maladministration should be fully involved, not half way and I intend to work fully to see our president elected and to see the back of the PPP in office,” he declared.     

Granger, who was also present at the briefing, mentioned the meetings he has been holding with residents across the country and said that he is already campaigning though he reiterated Corbin’s point about  awaiting indications from the elections agency.

“We’re actually drafting our election manifesto at present so everything is going according to our plan and we’re quite satisfied that over the last month we’ve made sufficient headway and GECOM makes the announcement we’ll be on target,” he said.

And in response to a question he said he has not sought nor received any commitment from the defeated presidential nominees to be part of the process but added that there were members of the party and had signed an agreement to support the candidate before the selection process was completed.

Meanwhile, a source close to GECOM told demwaves.com that the April 4 start date for the Claims and Objections period had to be revised due to the late delivery of ink needed to print ID cards generated from the previous Claims period.

According to the individual, GECOM had been expecting the ink by air but due to international flying restrictions the shipment had to come by sea and they are unclear as to the arrival date. The new commencement date for the Claims period will be announced following the arrival of the ink.