By:FAIR SHARE FOR ALL

Despite the best efforts of the minister and chairman of Carnival to completely frustrate revellers and keep downtown Basseterre as dead as possible, people went out to J’Ouvert and tried to have a good time.

Something has to be wrong with those in charge.
J’Ouvert has long been the only time that ordinary people get to jam behind a band without having to join a troupe and they ended the jam at ten o’clock.

So many stories abound as to the reason for this unpopular decision. But only God and those with the power know why they felt it necessary to end the jam so early in the morning.

Then there is the obvious absence of the folklore in town. The reason is most likely lack of funds.

Over the years, they were paid to ensure their presence in town and it also ensured that these groups did not disappear.

Instead, the government is focussed on stopping all private activities in town with the view that if there is nothing to do or see elsewhere, all roads will lead to Carnival City.

But quite a few returning nationals to whom I have spoken, went into town looking for the Carnival spirit. They were thoroughly disappointed.

I had to explain to them that the funds were diverted to local elections and to traffic lights and, given the incompetence of those in charge of Carnival, no effort was made to source more money to give to them.

In other words, they were told to make do with what they have or to make what they have do.

You see, everything about the Carnival this year hinged on the traffic lights.
They were to create the buzz that is normally generated by the folklore groups. Visitors and residents alike would have been so awestruck by the million dollar traffic lights that they would not have even realised that they not seeing any masquerade nor bull on the road.

Again, please do not get me wrong. I have absolutely no problem with traffic lights. I really hope that they ease the bottlenecks and effect the smooth flow of traffic.

But the point I am making is that they put all their Carnival eggs in the traffic lights basket, so that when, for whatever reason, the lights could not be turned on for Christmas, there doesn’t seem to have been a Plan B. I hear they will be turned on for the New Year.

Next I am hearing that the Music Festival that was vilified by every single person in Team Unity will not be three days but five days instead.

I do not know what was not said about the Music Festival and the myriad reasons why it should be abandoned. Like the BHS.

Now Team Unity has not only embraced the Music Festival but they are extending the duration from three days to five.

WOW!!!
And they are spending, not wasting, they are investing, not wasting, millions of dollars to bring high priced performers here for the festival.

I never thought that I would have lived to see the day.

It is obvious that Team Unity was just criticising everything just to win the election.
Victory at any cost, I suppose.

The SIDF. The Land for Debt Swap. The Citizenship by Investment Programme.
They are still there. Untouched. Unchanged.

That is why their supporters have gone quiet. There is nothing to defend. They really were convinced by the leaders in Team Unity that Douglas and Labour were committing so much wrong.

Now almost three years on, they are still waiting for somebody, anybody in Labour to get a real lock up.

Not a lock up because time going and nobody get lock up yet.

A bona fide lock up.

So we wait.

Will we get traffic lights and lock up in the New Year?