Maurice Merchant is no longer the Chairman of the Festivals Commission, with immediate effect, today.
Minister of Festivals and Culture, E.P Chet Greene confirmed the development this morning on OBSERVER AM.
“Effectively today, we are on the hunt for a new chairman. Maurice was due to leave last year but I was able to convince him not to do so but we have come to an agreement that he would leave at the end of carnival this year,” Greene said.
The minister also thanked Merchant for his “successful” stint as chairman and for raising the bar in relation to the festivities of the country.
He added that new applicants for the chairmanship would have to come with their personal five-year plan for the festival and his or her vision going forward. He said this is to ensure that all facets of the festival remain sustainable.
Merchant served as the Chairman of the Festivals Commission for the last two years.