Prime Minister Gaston Browne has said that it is “very unfortunate” that the family of the late Director of Culture Vaughn Walter saw government’s offer to assist with burial expenses as an insult.
The family said yesterday that they won’t be accepting any assistance from the state nor did they request a state or official funeral for Vaughn.
The government made an offer of assistance this week and prime minister Browne said that this is not unusual.”
“In fact, this is something we would have done time and time again for people who would of made significant contributions but whose contributions may not have risen to the level of a state or official funeral,” Browne said during a radio interview on Saturday.
He also made it clear that popularity alone does not qualify one for a state or official funeral.
“We have a growing tendency in this country that as along as someone who is popular dies we try to make the case for if not a state funeral but an official funeral,” Browne said.
He added that “the rules are very clear. In fact, my administration did not make the rules, these are long-standing rules that must be adhered to.”
“I would accept that there have been one or two departures from the standards as set by a previous administration many years ago. Maybe if those rules need to be relaxed then we can have a discussion on whether or not they should be relaxed,” the prime minister said.
He said, generally speaking, state funerals are reserved heads of state in the case of the Governor General or heads of government in case of the prime minister, national heroes or individuals of the equivalent who would have made similar contributions.
“Does Vaughn Walters contribution rise to the contributions of those individuals, I would say categorically NO.”
He said in so far as the official funeral is concerned, “again a decision was made that his contributions did not rise to that level. That is not to say he did not make a significant contributions and that is what justified the decision to assist with the burial expenses.”
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Hey people. All of you, including the PM, should try to be conscious of the fact that this man has a family that’s mourning his death and for once you all should try respecting their grief and stop the politicking. Our PM is without class and tact. There is no need to answer everything, especially in case like this. Despicable!
Popularity contest? Please. Do not insult our intelligence.
Man up and accept that your cabinet got this one wrong and unless the family is determined that it be not so, Vaughn should be given an Official Funeral because his contributions screams it and the majority of Antiguans sees it.
I look at some of the present Parliamentarians and what some of their names have been through and I am being told that they will be afforded an official funeral if their family so decide?
Let me look for my damn bottle of aspirin.
By the way, your cabinet also got it wrong when it did not afford Mr. Rick James an Official Funeral (in my opinion).
This will not wash over in nine (9) days.
Little by little persons are beginning to question if there is really a difference between the A.L.P. and the A.B.L.P. (pick sense from nonsense).
Who ever spoke about popularity contest? The PM said popularity alone does not qualify you for such, so i guess everyone that makes some contributions should get an official program. And what has Rick James done that he should have been given an official funeral.Really,Beef,i thought you was a sensible person.
Well in that case Duncy Bat go just get dash in ah one hole. Mr Pompey, you have…your shovel ready to help…throw some dirt if needs be?
PLEASE. NO EMPHATY. NO CLASS AT ALL. NO REAL SYMPATHY AT ALL. AT A TIME LIKE THIS TO BE MAKING SUCH STATEMENTS & T YOUNG MAN IS NOT EVEN BURIED YET. HE IS A FEW HUNDRED FEET AWAY AT HIS RADIO STATION UTTERING THESE VILE STATEMENTS ABOUT MR WALTERS CONTRIBUTIONS TO A&B. HIS LATE FATHER & MOTHERS CONTRIBUTIONS AS WELL AS HIS OWN ADDED TOGETHER WILL OUTSHINE ANYTHING YOU JACK ASS HAS DONE OR WILL EVER DO IF EVEN YOU CLOWN LIVE ON THIS EARTH FOR ANOTHER THOUSAND YEARS. MAY YOU ROT ON EARTH THEN HELL WHEN YR TIME WILL HAVE COME. YOU ARE A TRASH OF A PM. TRASH WILL EVENTUALLY BLOW AWAY IN THE WIND OF TIME.
GB, YOUR CLASS IS LOWER THAN A RAZOR BLADE. IT’S A PITY YOU HAVE KIDS. YOUR SINS WILL TRAVEL TO GENERATIONS TO COME.
State funerals should be reserved for former PM’s, GG’s, national heroes, accomplished long serving MP’s. Mr. Walter’s family has let him down. If the cabinet offered assistance, even if you donated it to charity, be gracious nah jack. Sir George always conducted himself with dignity and class, and they would do well to take a cue from their late patriarch.
I totally agree Mr Byam… these idiots are taking way too politically far… total IGNORANCE! DUNCENESS!!
What is all the controversy about. Let the man rest in peace. Official funeral or not that will not take him to heaven if he did not make it right with the Master. When will not even know what funeral he had. There are other issues in the country to talk about. Vaughn, tell everybody, ‘YA YOU NA HA FU COME MAN, YA YOU NA HA FU COME’. A ME ONE A TAP A BURIAL GRUN’.
Yaaaaaasssssss…. love this!! Bunch ah idiots!!
Interesting
Antiguan’s are suffering from POLITICTITIS,every dam thing is Politics. If he do not fit the criteria,he just dont. Give me a brake..
Damn right!!!
By all rights, when this dictator dies, there shouldn’t be any state funeral for him. He has given away and stolen crown lands and did nothing but practiced creative self enrichment
Stop the dunce talking. You vex the PM has money? A you 2 darn bad minded!
Why Antiguans are like that ? Leave politics out of this situation. He does not fit the criteria for an Official Funeral . This is FINAL.
@On the move- EXACTLY, my point..
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