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- Mr.
Robert H.O. Corbin, M.P., Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition
of Guyana and the Leader of
the People’s National Congress Reform, has given distinguished
public service for the past thirty-nine years as a Teacher,
Public Servant, Youth Leader, Professional Social Worker,
Politician, Legislator, Minister of Government and as a member
of the Guyana Elections Commission.
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- Born in the mining Town of Linden,
his early upbringing was rooted in the Presbyterian Church where
he spent many years actively working in the Youth Ministry. A
graduate of the University of Guyana and the Hugh Wooding Law
School he holds the Diploma in Social Work, (Dip. S W); the
Bachelor of Laws Degree (LL.B); and the Legal Education
Certificate, (L.E.C), of the Caribbean Council of Legal
Education.
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- As
a social worker, Mr. Corbin worked in many hinterland and rural
communities of Guyana promoting social and economic development.
From 1966 to 1977 he was widely recognized as a youth
leader skilled in organising, mobilizing and training young
people for nation building.
During this period, he held positions of Executive
member, General Secretary and later National Chairman of the
Young Socialist Movement, the Youth Arm of the Peoples National
Congress. It was his work in this organisation that propelled
him to the forefront of the movement to secure national
independence and self reliance.
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- Mr.
Corbin has also been an elected member of the Central Executive
Committee of the People’s National Congress for the past
thirty years and has served as its Senior Vice Chairman and
General Secretary. He was elected Chairman of the party at its
Biennial Congress in August 2000 and was returned at the
Biennial Congress in August 2002 for a further two-year term.
Consequent upon the sudden death of Mr. Hugh Desmond Hoyte, he
was elected Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform at
a Special Congress held on February 1, 2003.
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- An
elected Member of Parliament for twenty-four continuous years
from August 1973 to October 1997, Mr. Corbin held a number of
Ministerial portfolios. These
included, Cooperatives and National Mobilisation; Youth Sports
and National Service; Regional and National Development; Local
Government; Agriculture and Forestry; and, Works, Communications
and Public Utilities. He was also Deputy Prime Minister between
1985 and 1992. As
an Opposition Member of Parliament between 1992 and 1997, he was
Shadow Minister for Works, Communications and Regional
Development. He was re-elected to Parliament at the 2001 General
Elections and was elected Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition
on May 2, 2003.
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- During
his years of service, Mr. Robert Corbin traveled extensively
throughout Guyana, acquiring vast knowledge of the needs,
challenges and potential of the various communities and actively
worked in many of them, promoting their development.
- Mr.
Corbin has ably led many delegations to various international
conferences in pursuit of Government and Party Business, the
earliest of which was as a member of the Guyana delegation to
the Non Aligned Summit in 1970 held in Lusaka, Zambia.
He has also effectively represented his Party and country
in numerous countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas and
the Caribbean.
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- His
indomitable strength in the face of adversity, his resolute calm
in situations of crisis, his political acumen, leadership skills
together with his vast knowledge of the history and development
of his Party and country, have all served to fashion this man
who has never faltered in his commitment to the Peoples National
Congress Reform and Guyana. A protégé of the late, Dr. Ptolemy
Reid and Forbes Burnham and a trusted advisor of the late
Desmond Hoyte, Robert Herman Orlando Corbin, a committed
nationalist is dedicated to rebuilding and strengthening the
Peoples National Congress Reform to realize its vision of a
modern, prosperous, developed and united Guyana.
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- Robert
Corbin, a practising Attorney At Law is married and has five
grown children. He has always been a keen sportsman and was
active in athletics, swimming and other games. He still finds time to keep fit by playing squash.
Among his hobbies are boating, hunting and horseback
riding.
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- Peoples
National Congress Reform
- Congress
Place, Sophia,
- Georgetown,
Guyana
- June
2003
