HGP NIGHTLY NEWS – President Dr Irfaan Ali says the late Robert Corbin’s longstanding push for greater national unity remains “unfinished business,” as he challenged Guyanese to look beyond political divisions and continue pursuing a more united country.
Speaking at the former Opposition Leader’s funeral at St Andrew’s Kirk on Thursday, President Ali reflected on Corbin’s decades in public life and the ideals he continued to champion throughout his political career.
“The aspirations he championed remain unfinished business,” Ali said, pointing particularly to Corbin’s calls for greater cooperation and a society in which all Guyanese could contribute to national development.
Corbin, a former Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform and former Leader of the Opposition, spent nearly 35 years in the National Assembly.
Ali, who shared the parliamentary chamber with Corbin, remembered him as a formidable parliamentarian who was persistent in defending his positions and ensuring issues he considered important received attention.
“He was capable of presenting an argument with persistence, challenging the government and insisting that matters he considered important should receive the attention of the House,” the President recalled.
Despite their political differences, Ali said Corbin demonstrated that fierce political disagreement did not have to prevent personal respect outside of Parliament.
The President said Guyana has now reached what he described as a “defining moment” in its history, arguing that collective action could help realise a longstanding national vision of unity and shared purpose.
“We have arrived at a defining moment in our history, a moment when our collective effort can give shape to a national vision that finally fulfils the dream of 1950,” Ali said.
Corbin’s legacy, the President maintained, should therefore be remembered not only through his decades of political service and parliamentary battles, but through the continuing pursuit of national reconciliation.
