By Wayne Bowman  - Trinidad Express


Recently installed Minister of the Arts and Multiculturalism, Dr Lincoln Douglas left listeners perplexed when he said during the launch of Tribe Mas Band's C2K13 presentation Butterflies, Beasts, Bacchanal on Saturday, that he wants to franchise Carnival to individuals or organisations, including foreigners.

Douglas said he intends to invite proposals from anyone who believes they can produce the best Carnival in Trinidad, including people from New Jersey, whom he said he visited recently. The remark did not appear to find favour with those listening.

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  • It may be time for the government to get out of carnival and let business spend their money and not taxpayers. Changes come weather people prepare for it or not. It is too costly to sustain using the public coffers to susidize carnival. Let the masbands, all the other shows and the businesses who make a profit from the carnival put their own money into the carnival. As for the panorama, we shall see....     .

  • The Minister throw out a discussion, this is what it is A DISCUSSION...are we civilized ?

    • NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      • Gentlemen, the new Minister should be told that he not only have to answer to people in T&T but Trini all over the world. He is accountable to "D Court of Public Opinion" here on WST and we ain't easy so he better walk ah straight line. He could blame it all on social media.lol

        • Cecil, ent? lol. Not just social media, but this information clearinghouse known as the internet, where ANY ONE can research on questions they have. And, man, does it take you to some very interesting places...

          Ghost

    • Cecil Paul is into politics, not carnival or steelpan. "Are we civilized"? Not yet, we are working on it.

      • Patrick, u should know more than most, d people who contribute to d advancement of d cause where people into politics. Lennox Pierre, Roy Joseph to name a few. So, y pull at Cecil Paul? Let me remind u, if u forget. D place for d minister to throw out a discussion is with the intrest Groups around d table, not d in d media or d man in d street. We display our thirdworld mentalitywhen we as a nation and people put in place instutions that we fail to mentain and respect. The intrest groups were not establish for style. They were all establish as Institutions that help to hold the fabric of the society together. Disrespect one and you disrespect all. To get this thing off the ground and running, the goodly Minister only have to meet with the Intrest groups with an open mind, and he would learn so much. Hope that false pride and over inflated egos don't get in the way.

      • Was it not a politician who threw out the issue for discussion? Is this not an issue that will ultimately be decided by politicians? I don't belong to any political party but certainly was involved with various aspects of Carnival. Are you questioning our civility because some of us disagree with the Minister's suggestion?

    • The Minister threw out an insult to our ability to continue to manage a celebration we ran for 174 years? He is insulting the national intelligence not trowing out a discussion.

  • I do hope that this Minister Mr Lincoln Douglas read my question and answer it on WST,,,,ah wan know from where Carnaval Begin? now as far as i,m concerned this is trying to sell out part of the T&T  Culture to Foreigners,,,i don,t agree with this nonsense, totally out of order,Respect.

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