Free National Movement (FNM) Chairman Sidney Collie said the government cannot hide from its mismanagement in regards to the recently failed Fyre Festival in Exuma, as he too insisted Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe apologizes publicly for the ordeal.

The festival, which was scheduled for last weekend, was internationally marketed as a “once in a lifetime” musical three day event.

However, as the organizing team eventually admitted, it wrongfully thought it had the capacity to host the event.

The team acknowledged that the task had become overwhelming, as the airport was filled to capacity, the buses were unable to accommodate the crowd, and half of the tents were knocked down due to adverse weather.

“Try though it might, the PLP simply hide from its integral role in the utter disaster known as Fyre Festival 2017. Nor can the governing party escape responsibility for the widespread international embarrassment that has resulted from its total failure to properly oversee the planning and staging of the event, not to mention the vetting of those involved,” Mr. Collie said. “Yet for months leading up to the event, Tourism officials repeatedly touted the government’s intimate involvement with the details of this shameful catastrophe,” he added.

Mr. Collie suggested yesterday in a statement that the government’s updates in regards to the festival were misleading. “On March 6, 2017, the ministry issued a press release claiming that, ‘local authorities have been working hard over the past months to prepare for the inaugural kickoff on April 28. No efforts have been spared to ensure a wonderful experience for each of the thousands of guests coming for Fyre Festival 2017,’” Mr. Collie said. “In the very same press release, none other than Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe himself announced that, ‘We’re working closely with the Fyre Festival team to ensure that visitors have an unforgettable trip to the Exumas.’” The FNM chairman, insisting that the government is attempting to distance itself from the festival’s flop, he noted that this is already the perception internationally. “An article in Vanity Fair described The Bahamas as ‘invested in this grand brand-building experiment’. It added, ‘In the months leading up to the first weekend, Bahamian officials coordinated closely with the organizers. They’ve readied the excursions, provided the jet skis for rent, made the yacht marinas available, and tapped the University of Bahamas culinary division to prepare food. The many businesses involved are depending on Fyre’s ability to deliver,” Mr. Collie said. “The minister must publicly apologize for his part in dragging the good name of the Bahamas through the mud on the international stage. “Coming so soon after the Caribbean Muzik Festival disaster, which saw his ministry spend half a million dollars on another event that also descended into chaos. Fyre Festival is a damning indictment on Wilchcombe and his tenure in charge of our nation’s most important industry.”