By LEISELLE MARAJ Saturday, July 28 2012

CULTURAL stakeholders including the National Carnival Band Association (NCBA), Pan Trinbago and the Trinbago Unified Calypsonian Organisation (TUCO) have expressed the view that recently appointed Arts and Multiculturalism Minister Dr Lincoln Douglas has started his term of office with uninformed statements.

In a joint release issued yesterday, the three bodies addressed statements by Douglas including his view that privatising Carnival celebrations may be an option to consider in the future.

“We do not accept that that statement was made to initiate discourse and we do not expect such an educated person who is new to the job to make such a comment before familiarising himself with the intricacies of his portfolio,” the release stated.

In addition, the minister stated in an interview on a morning television show that he held a meeting with a wide range of groups including the NCBA, Pan Trinbago and TUCO but that only two of these brought proposals to the table.

“Regrettably, he has misrepresented the tenor of the meeting, at least those called with us (Pan Trinbago, TUCO and NCBA) and we wish to state categorically that we were called at short notice for a meeting of introduction to the new Minister,” the joint statement added.

The release explained that only the groups’ presidents were invited but the presidents arrived with other members of their respective executives and all indicated the need for a longer meeting to make their respective presentations.

“It is passing strange that the Minister should speak of bringing the elements of Carnival together when he does not take the time or opportunity to hold a meeting with representatives of these elements as a group,” the release stated.