By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

PUBLIC consultations are set to begin today on the proposed National Junkanoo Authority Bill, with Latrae Rahming, director of communications at the Office of the Prime Minister, expressing optimism all parties will find common ground to allow this year’s parades to proceed.

“There will be no progress without contention, and the contention is only evident of a misunderstanding that needs to have product clarity,” Mr Rahming said. 

“I do believe that we’ll be able to satisfy that tension when both parties could have a true appreciation of the objectives. I also believe that what is very clear is that the Junkanoo community wants to be reassured that the government has its best interest at hand.”

His comments come as the Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence (JCNP) has suspended all parade activities in protest against the proposed bill. But the move has stirred backlash from some within the Junkanoo community, with some members accusing the JCNP of acting unilaterally and without broad consultation.

Meanwhile, some critics have linked the bill to an attempt to centralise control and roll back the organisation’s self-governance amid the ongoing dispute between two factions of the Valley Boys Junkanoo group

One faction, the “World Famous Valley Boys” is led by Brian Adderley while the other - the “Way Forward Valley Boys” - is headed by Trevor Davis, brother of Prime Minister Philip Davis.

But, Mr Rahming has insisted the draft legislation is not a reaction to the split.

“Let me be clear in saying that the bill in itself is not being designed as a resolution to a dispute between two fractions of the Valley Boys,” Mr Rahming said, addressing speculation linking the bill to the internal conflict.

“This bill is not a new idea. It has been something that has been in existence from for the last several years, we had a process.”

Acknowledging misconceptions surrounding the bill’s purpose, Mr Rahming said the government’s public consultation will provide an opportunity for candid discussions and clarification. The session, scheduled to begin at 9am today, will be televised on ZNS, streamed online, broadcast live on radio, and accessible via Zoom.

The bill proposes a 15-member governing body appointed by the minister, representing stakeholders from New Providence, Grand Bahama, the Family Islands, and cultural institutions. It would regulate national parades, administer funding, issue licenses, manage a National Junkanoo Fund, and create for-profit subsidiaries. The bill would also dissolve the defunct National Junkanoo Committee and install local committees across the archipelago.

The JCNP, which has managed the New Providence parades since 2004, strongly objects to the bill’s scope and timing, and questions the motives behind it. Still, the government said it will move forward.