Declaration of Sophia

Chapter 3 The Restructuring of The Party

3.1 There will be seven (7) classes of membership. But what is very important is that every individual over 14 years of age must and I quote "satisfactorily serve a period of attachment to a group for a period of not less than one year as a probationary member before he is admitted to youth or ….adult membership." In addition, every member, here again I quote, "shall take a pledge of membership."

3.2 In light of these latter provisions, there can be no question of a Party member or would-be Party member (except a child member) not understanding what the Party stands for and what are his obligations.

Executive Secretaries

3.3 It should also be noted that it is proposed to strengthen the Secretariat notably by the addition of Executive Secretaries responsible to the General Secretary for certain specific subjects and matters.

3.4 Provisions are also envisaged to ensure easy and meaningful communication within the Party structure, between the Officers and Executive Committee, the General Council, the Region, the Districts, the Groups and the Members, and in communication in both directions. Parliamentarians, including Ministers and P.N.C Local Government Council members, should and will be allocated specific Party duties and roles.

3.5 All officers and functionaries at all levels will be responsible not only for such formal matters as summoning and attending and speaking at meetings, but they will also have to be involved in organising activities in the various communities, activities aimed at carrying out the Party's objectives and supporting relevant programmes in all fields.

3.6 It is not intended that they should be little Caesars giving orders. Rather they must inspire and in proper cases, give leadership by work example and personal involvement. At the same time, they can and must learn from the comrades with whom they deal and with whom they work and perform.

Training and Education

3.7 In the meantime, there has already commenced a series of courses for Party Officers and activists as well as comrades in the public sector. These courses which last several weeks each, are calculated to be a means of training and education at both practical and theoretical levels. It would do your heart good to see on the last course but one, number of very senior Public Servants, including Permanent Secretaries, rising early in the morning, doing their callisthenics, tending the fields, planting, cleaning up and then proceeding to attend lectures and discussions. Already we have begun to witness salutary results springing from an understanding of what the Party and Government are after and the need for intelligent and energetic responses. These courses will continue indefinitely at various centres throughout Guyana.

3.8 Every member, every officer, every leader, be he at the centre or at the group level must be a trained activist, organiser and educator in every sense. He must have no reservations about the Party's philosophy and programme of which he must be fully informed to the last minute, and which he must impart by example and by precept.

3.9 The Party Regions will correspond to the Governmental Administrative Regions instituted last year and the Party Districts roughly to Local Government Areas under the Municipal and District Councils Act. The Groups, however, will be more limited that now in geographic extent, to enable more thorough organisation and greater contact between members of the same Group.

The Quality of Membership

3.10 These are in out some of the provisions in the draft Constitution and their implications.

3.11 As the Party completes its tenth year it has embarked on a radical restructuring for the next and subsequent phases. At the same time it will have, in some instances, to purge itself, to strengthen itself. We no longer want nor can we in our circumstances afford the hanger-on, the bandwaggoner, the opportunist, the luke-warn.

3.12 It follows, therefore, that our quest is now not for large numbers of members, but a high quality of membership. If, of course, we were able truly to achieve the latter along with the former, we shall be happy at such a circumstance, if not miracle.

3.13 Party membership must be a reward to be sough after, a qualification which has to be earned. It must not come by, unless the applicant has gone through the crucible of training, testing and performance. It cannot, I repeat cannot, be bought.

3.14 At this point, a distinction must be drawn between the Party member and the Party supporter. The latter may be one who generally supports the Party's programme or parts thereof; one who admires and recognises the significance of the Party's achievements, but is not willing to make the sacrifice of time and energy to organise, to lead and to inspire. He may be impressed by the Party's accomplishments in some or all fields but is not grounded in its ideology either through lack of interest or predisposition. He is important, he is useful to the cause, but he has not yet qualified for membership of the P.N.C. Maybe with the effluxion of time and further exposure, and with the aid of patient persuasion, he will.

3.15 On the other hand, though membership should be a reward and a badge of honour, it is not, and the Party should see that it does not, become, either a means of self-aggrandisement or some thing to be used as 'royal purple' to be arrogantly vaunted abroad. Arrogance and insensitive behaviour do not go with service to the Party and the Nation, and in the Revolution. Understanding, humility and example are the instruments of persuasion.