GRENADA - The recent decision made by authorities in Grenada to postpone the parade of the bands on Tuesday August 11, 2009 (due to the inclement weather) and have a half day on Saturday August 15, 2009 to allow the parade to take place, has come in for a fair deal of criticism from leaders of mas bands, masqueraders and members of the public here on the island. Many persons have expressed the view that the rain on Tuesday is an act of God and should not have stopped the celebrations from taking place. In the words of one person, “The only thing that rain should stop is cricket.” In spite of the inclement weather, mas bands in the parish of St. Andrew - as well as some of the other rural parishes – took to the streets and many persons turned out to look at the colorful spectacle. Even in the city of St. George, some of the revelers turned out, eager to take to the streets. This is seen, by many local observers, as a clear indication that the parade of the bands could have taken place and there was no need for a postponement. Some of the members of the local mas bands are visitors to the country and Grenadians living overseas who came back home for the carnival. Many of these people would have already left the island to go back to their respective countries which will contribute towards a reduction in the size of the bands. Also, some of the vendors complained about the spoilage of food and other paraphernalia that would have been prepared for Tuesday’s parade and the fact that they had to break-down their stalls and possibly re-build them for Saturday afternoon – adding to their overall expenses at a time when things are already hard and sales are slow. In a statement released by the Grenada Carnival Committee (GCC), it stated that it recognizes that sunlight is a critical component of showcasing the spectacle of fancy mas and that the hard work put out in the last 6 months or so leading up to carnival would not have received the platform it deserved if revelers took to the street (on Tuesday last). The Committee held discussions with representatives from the private sector, labor movement and Government in order to determine an appropriate date for the rescheduling of the activities. At the end of these discussions, the GCC was advised by Government that the parade of the bands will be facilitated on Saturday August 15th and a declaration of a public half holiday made.