Culture Minister: No Private Parade Will Conflict With National Parades

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Youth Sports and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg is making it clear the government will not support any Junkanoo parade that could possibly compete with any national parade on any family island.

It came as the JCNP threatened to have its own parade if the government didn’t reverse its decision to take over parade management.

Bowleg was talking at a press conference to announce the Junknaoo parade’s management team, along with the festival committees.

We put the matter to JCNP Chairman Dion Miller, who said this:

“The government is doing what the government wants to do, and we as Junknaooers must do what we have to do.”

“What they are doing is they are using Junkanooers to enslave Junkanooers, and so we are not surprised by their action and we want the public and Junkanooers to take note of who all those persons are who are assisting with he enslavement of Junkanooers,” Miller said.

Meanwhile, Bowleg is saying he’s expecting all groups to participate in the parades managed by the National Junkanoo Committee.

He said the groups signed an agreement to appear on Bay Street once they received government seed funding.

In its letter to Bowleg, the JCNP claimed corporate sponsors have warned that private parades are the only way to escape breached contracts if the minister doesn’t change its course.

However, Bowleg is saying otherwise.

“The Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture is going to have a national parade that is going to be powered by Aliv. You will see that on television via Our News and ZNS, put that right there. Where Kalik used to be, you will see Kalik on the parade. Every major sponsor will be a part of these parades,” he said.

Bowleg says the JCNP should be focused on regaining the trust of the Junkanoo groups that voted for new parade management.

As for this year’s parade, parade management Committee Chairman Douglas Hanna says the main goal is to ensure safe, well-organized and successful parades.

“We will endeavor to ensure that all parade participants, that is, Junkanoo groups, individuals, and all other authorized participants, are organized, on schedule, and are aware of their responsibility as parade participants,” Hanna said.