And high on the list of priorities, is the need for "change", he said, adding: "Change is as necessary a part of politics as it is a part of life. Those who do not change become dinosaurs, irrelevant and eventually extinct."

Noting that Congress is an emotional, important occasion for the party, Mr. Hoyte urged delegates and observers to recommit themselves to the service of the party, its policies and programmes, and to the grander objective of promoting the development of the country in conditions of peace, security and prosperity.

Delivering the feature address at the Congress, he reminded the membership in the packed Conference Hall at the party's Sophia, Georgetown headquarters, that Congress provides a forum at which they can engage in open discussion, debate and analyse issues rigorously, and make clear cut decisions.

"We therefore must approach its agenda in a mood of creativity and innovation and a spirit of enquiry that allows us to question our methods, strategies, policies and programmes with the full understanding that, in our party, there are no sacred cows or immutable traditions."