PM: Govt mishandled stage-in-the-sea matter

The Prime Minister said Government mishandled the staging of the Karukera One Love Festival at Maracas Beach. Dr Rowley said the error happened when Minister of State in the Education Ministry, Dr Lovell Francis, accepted an invitation to go to Guadeloupe which was not funded by the public or by an international agency which TT belongs too.

Karukera is a music festival from Guadeloupe created to showcase regional musical diversity on a stage on the ocean. At the post Cabinet news conference on Thursday, Rowley declared, “It’s only in TT, that a stage could cause such an exercise of the national psyche, right up to the Cabinet.”

He observed, “A lot of the conversation about the stage is rooted in the fact that Minister Francis went to Guadeloupe at the invitation of somebody who paid his ticket.” Rowley recalled advice he received as a new government minister in 1991 from then prime minister Patrick Manning.

That advice, Rowley said, was “that any minister of this government of this country, travelling on government business, must do so only at the expense of the people of TT or an international agency of which we are a member.”

Referring to Francis’ trip to Guadeloupe in August 2018, Rowley said, “This situation in Guadeloupe I must say didn’t follow that instruction. I think somehow we let our guard down here and had a minister accepting an invitation to be funded to Guadeloupe.” He said comments directed at Francis were being raised in the context of, “you were part of it and you cannot say you don’t know.”

Rowley said construction of the stage was stopped because “the action required a number of government agencies to sign off on it and that was not done.” He explained every agency “is involved under law for a particular reason” and one could not give approvals for the other.

Rowley said the bottom line of this matter was “an idea, approvals required, approvals not had and there were even instances of instructions not being carried out.” Francis said he did not hear Rowley’s statement. But he said, “I am sure that he will discuss it with me and then I will comment.” Francis maintained that everything he has said on this issue is the truth.

He said his four-day visit to Guadeloupe involved “a litany of official events” such as a town hall meeting, visiting an indigenous festival and riding a traditional cart. Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat said there is no rift between Francis and himself.

Rambharat explained he had a duty to intervene and instruct the Commissioner of State Lands to stop the construction of the stage on the seabed. He said that was done and he received a report from the commissioner on this matter on Monday. Rambharat added he has additional questions for the commissioner to answer. The Karukera is scheduled to take place today at Maracas Bay with the stage erected on land.