Carnival Association presents government with ultimatum

A frustrated carnival association (L-Ghaqda Partecipanti Karnival) this morning said government was leaving them hanging lose as nothing concrete has been set about next year’s Carnival edition.

Jason Busuttil, speaking on behalf of the association, said they are being discriminated against and the participants feel everything is being dismissed.

“[We] are not prepared to work with incompetent people currently in charge of the Cultural Department: they completely dismiss our work and the traditional activity which is Carnival.”

Busuttil said that while other events such as Notte Bianca and Ghanafest have someone from the Department who is individually responsible of the activities, not the same could be said about Carnival.

“No one is recognizing the hard work involved in setting up this activity,” Busuttil said as he called for the Carnival Committee to be set up again, and for the appointment of a person who would be responsible of the activity all year round.

The association complained that the necessary applications for Carnival 2012 have not yet been issued, even though the regulations were discussed and settled over two months ago.

It added that government has not yet released any information on where and how Carnival is going to take place – “and this is obvious because of the projects going on in Valletta.”

Busuttil added that Fort St Elmo is in a derelict state and no authority was giving attention to the danger the carnival enthusiasts were working in.

The association said government has failed to keep its promise of creating a ‘Carnival village’ – “another promise which remained on the paper.”

The association threatened that if government does not come forward with proposals by the end of this week, the association would be boycotting the event. In reality, this would mean that no traditional floats would be present, marking the end of Carnival in Malta as we know it.