ST GEORGE’S, Grenada -- The failure of the Grenada government to stage the 2012 Camerhogne Folk Festival has been severely criticized by a sitting Member of Parliament and former executive member of the ruling National Democratic Congress.

“This failure to deliver, once again, highlights a lack of capacity and political will on the part on this NDC administration,” said Joseph Gilbert, MP for St Patrick West.

St Patrick has been the venue of the Camerhogne Folk Festival in its first two years, 2010 and 2011. It was customarily held during the first weekend of December, but government sources have confirmed that it has been scratched from the 2012 cultural calendar.

Gilbert, a former Minister of Works, expressed disappointment at the cancellation of the festival, which received financial backing last year from the government of Finland.

The cancellation is a major blow to culture, the MP said.

“This is a tremendous setback to the development and preservation of our indigenous culture of folklore and dance,” Gilbert told a recent meeting of his constituents.

Gilbert said small business people are also suffering loss without the event, and he blamed the situation on the “ineptitude and lack of vision” of the Tillman Thomas-led administration.

“It is a major blow to many local vendors who were looking forward to making the most of the anticipated business opportunities that are associated with the festival,” Gilbert said.

“The prime minister has no one else to blame for this but himself; and you, the people, must hold him responsible for this,” he added. “We are now reaping the bitter reward of the prime minister's unwarranted removal of Arley Gill as the Minister with responsibility for Culture, and under whose portfolio the Camerhogne Folk Festival fell.”

Gill, who was removed from the senate and relieved of his cultural portfolio in May, spearheaded the introduction of the Camerhogne Folk Festival and the Auntie Tek Spice Word Festival in 2010.

This year’s Spice Word Festival, scheduled for October, was cancelled because of lack funds, acting chief cultural officer, Thomas Matthew, had said.

“First it was the Auntie Tek Spice Word Festival to run afoul earlier this year. Now, it is the Camerhogne Folk festival,” Gilbert lamented. “It is a disappointing failure not having these events this year and not seeing the materialization of two of Grenada's annual cultural festivals that have helped boost economic out-turn in the country.”

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