OLD stager Robert Corbin staved off a challenge to his leadership of the main opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) late Saturday by an official overwhelming margin over his rival and fellow party stalwart Winston Murray.

But persistent claims of fraud and other irregularities in the party elections continue to dog him as he faces the daunting task of mending a seriously fractured party ahead of Local Government elections and general elections in 2011.

While the poll results showed that the Corbin camp’s machinery was well-oiled to ensure he remains in the top post, the obvious dismay among previous and the latest challengers to his leadership could leave him shorn of the support of several senior party stalwarts.

Murray, once a die-hard Corbin backer picked as the sole challenger in the leadership race, accepted the official results and told reporters he is considering his political future.

Business people and others in the Reform wing of the PNCR last week rallied to Murray’s camp as expectations rose that he may prove formidable enough to unseat the incumbent Corbin.

But their hopes were dashed with the Corbin camp delivering him a wide enough official victory margin which Murray has accepted with equanimity. Corbin polled 614 votes against 223 for Murray.

Corbin, 61, a PNCR stalwart, was elected party chairman in 2000 and retained the role in 2002. He was chosen to lead the party in 2003 following the death of former President Desmond Hoyte.

After the party’s defeat in the 2006 national elections, Corbin’s leadership came under scrutiny, although ultimately his two prospective challengers withdrew before a contest could be organised and his leadership was affirmed.

Challenges to Corbin’s leadership of the party led to infighting which intensified late last year after stalwart Mr. James McAllister was removed as a PNCR parliamentarian. This prompted strong protests from senior members, including Mr. Vincent Alexander, Registrar at the University of Guyana, who had previously attempted to challenge Corbin as leader.

In a statement then, the breakaway group, called ‘Team Alexander’, said it can no longer be of service to a party that “merely gives lip service to the ideals that inspired our continued service…”

Alexander resigned as the PNCR representative on the Joint Task Force on Local Government Reform and Ms. Julianne Gaul submitted her resignation from the Regional Development Council of Region Four.

Dr Richard Van West-Charles, former Health Minister and a son-in-law of the late President Forbes Burnham, returned home to challenge Corbin as leader of the party.

His main aim, he told the Chronicle, was to help bring the party his father-in-law founded in the mid-1950s into the principles and values of the 21st century and the challenge to Corbin for the PNCR top post was a central plank in this plan.

Van West-Charles last week withdrew from the race, backing Murray in elections at the party’s 16th Biennial Congress.

He sharply criticised Corbin’s leadership of the party claiming there was a clear “need for a new leader who can motivate party members at all levels to give their best effort.”

He said it was “undeniable that over the last five years our party suffered precipitous diminution which has affected its ability to effectively fulfill its mandate.”

“The steady departure of talented and established leaders from the ranks of the party has now reached crisis proportions and is resulting in disconnect between the party and its constituency. Over this period there have been several changes in the leadership team giving support to the Leader but the problem still persists”, he said.

But he said he was prepared to and “will abide by the decisions of the Congress.”

“My love and commitment for this party is not limited to an election result”, he offered.

Corbin has been dogged by leadership in-fighting and charges of rigging party elections with Norton claiming he was last month manoeuvred out of the post as Chairman of the Georgetown district, a charge Corbin has denied.

The Biennial Delegates Congress is the highest decision making forum of the party and the theme was “People’s Victory Through Local Democracy.”