With the announcement that the official dedication of the new Tranquility Park Cemetery will take place on Thursday, now word comes that burials at the cemetery will commence next Monday July 21.
Among those who have welcomed the announcement is Prime Minister Gaston Browne who noted that it had been years that the need for a new cemetery was widely recognized and his administration made the necessary decision to deliver this vital facility to the people of Antigua and Barbuda.
Speaking on the Browne and Browne show last Saturday, PM Browne provided the nation with critical background information of the processes that lead to Thursday’s dedication and the commencement of burials on Monday.
Firstly, he recalled that the idea for the cemetery dates back to the Lester Bird administration. Secondly, the UPP government blocked it through protests led by then-Minister Jackie Quinn. Thirdly, despite having 10¼ years in office, the UPP never established a cemetery elsewhere.
PM Browne noted that his administration revived the plan, completed the project, and delivered a much-needed public service without opposition protests this time around.
“When you know you’re doing the right thing, you must stand firm,” he emphasised.
The prime minister described his weekly radio engagements as a form of public consultation and reiterated the importance of governments making decisions in the best interest of the people, despite emotional arguments from critics.
