Several persons will vying for leadership positions in the Caribana Arts Group (CAG) when the organization holds its annual general meeting on Saturday, starting at noon.

But the meeting  to be held in the basement of the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel on College Street in Toronto,  is not expected to attract large numbers of voters and there will be changes in the way the actual voting will be conducted.

As one senior CAG official explained, only “paid up” members of the organization will be eligible to vote and so far “just a small number” of people have paid their twenty-five dollar membership fee.

“Of course, people can pay the membership fee the day before the meeting in order to vote. But we are not expecting a rush of would-be voters at the last minute,” the official said.

He also noted that in keeping with constitutional changes made at a meeting last month, “members of the organization will be voting directly for individual officers such as the chair secretary and treasurer.”

“In the past, six directors would be voted in and the directors would  choose the chair, the secretary and other officers.”

Lawyer Knia Singh is one of the members of the CAG who has confirmed that he is “running for the position of chairman.”

Singh who served as chairman of the organization between 2013 and 2016, told the Caribbean Camera that  he has the knowledge and experience necessary to move the  CAG forward.

“I joined the organization in 2007 and was appointed to the board in 2008.I know what has been happening. I know what the issues are and what the strengths and weaknesses of the organization are,” he said.

Singh spoke of  the need “to unify” the CAG.

“Things  are fragmented.We don’t have the power of unity  and we don’t have the leverage that we need.”

He said the  CAG  needs to work closely with all the stakeholders – the mas’ bands, the steel pan association, the calypso association and others to achieve that unity.”

#Caribana Arts Group#Knia Singh#Lady of Good Counsel