Dear Editor,
Please allow me to pay tribute to one of Guyana’s most dedicated and patriotic sons, former minister of government, Member of Parliament, Ambassador, National Awardee, and General Secretary of the People’s National Congress Reform, Oscar Clarke CCH, who was fondly called GS as if this acronym was his first name. Cde. Clarke’s sudden passing was more than a shocker to me. However, as the news settled in, I began to reflect on my many interactions with him. The last time I saw GS was last June when we were both participating in a picket/ protest activity in front of GECOM. We chatted briefly as we walked the picket line, and he quickly noted that he knew I would be there once I was in the country; I laughed and remarked at how well I thought he looked.
I came to know Mr. Clarke while I was a member of the Guyana Youth and Student Movement (GYSM), the youth arm of the PNCR. However, my close working relationship with him started when I was elected as the organisation’s National Secretary in 2000. It was customary then for the National Secretary of the party’s youth arm to work closely with its General Secretary. I welcomed the opportunity to work with and learn from GS, an expert on PNCR and an ardent follower of the party’s constitution. Through our many interactions, I became familiar with many aspects of the constitution, on which he was an expert. He would not advise you on any major party undertaking without referencing the constitutional provision supporting his position, and it appeared that he always had a constitution in his possession.
Oscar Clarke took his job as General Secretary very seriously and was dedicated and committed to the office’s work. He was always available to take your calls and respond to your questions. GS was always willing to assist the GYSM and was instrumental in helping us with logistical support for many events, including leadership conferences and educational retreats. For these events, he ensured all logistical arrangements were in place and that the activities were well executed. He also made presentations on leadership and the party’s history at some of these events. He wanted us, the young comrades, to know and understand the party’s history and legacy, which he retold as stories to many of us.
Oscar Clarke was a good storyteller. He was always keen to provide the story behind a particular PNCR policy position taken during the PNC Burnham government. He was a human archive of the PNCR and the PNC government. He represented a symbol of the party’s institutional memory. I recalled that when I was elected as chairperson of the GYSM, GS was one of the people I turned to for guidance as I wanted to know what his YSM experience was like and what suggestions he had that could help the new executive. He was happy to engage me in that conversation and delighted I asked. We spent hours discussing his early involvement in the party’s youth arm, and he enjoyed talking about that experience while often interjecting, “You know you are the first female to hold that office,” as he raised his finger and pointed at me. He was interjecting this line to demonstrate that he believed it was significant and worthy of celebrating. Those who knew Mr. Clarke well would know that any conversation you had with him would not be complete without some funny anecdote. GS loved to share good jokes, but he often laughed before he could finish telling the joke.
In 2006, while we were preparing for national and regional elections, I told him that I was taking a team to Region Six to sell the New Nation papers and campaign and that I would have been happy if he could arrange for me to get the papers for me to sell. GS looked at me and asked how many papers I needed; I told him everything he could get. The next day, the papers and transportation were organised, and we went to New Amsterdam and the Corentyne, where we sold those papers. When I returned the next day to deliver the proceeds from the sales, he asked how we could make that kind of profit and, in jest, asked if we sold the papers on the “black market.” He barely got the comment out before he was consumed with laughter. I responded that we did not but that some folks left monetary donations while some didn’t need change. To this, he smiled and thanked us.
Oscar Clarke’s contribution to Guyana and the PNCR is invaluable. His service to the country, both overseas as an ambassador and in the country as an administrator of a public institution, cannot be denied. This was a man who loved his country and party and worked to make both better. He has certainly made his impact. He was a selfless, committed, and dedicated comrade and General Secretary. He was an advocate for his country. I am honoured to have met him and grateful for the invaluable conversations. I learned a lot from him. GS’s passing will undoubtedly leave a void in the PNCR and the pool of Guyanese patriots in the party.
Sincere condolences to his family, friends, and the PNCR family. May his soul rest in perfect peace.
Sincerely,
Lurlene Nestor
