Maroons and visitors to Accompong celebrate the 1739 peace treaty last year. - FileTHE ANNUAL celebration of the 1739 treaty between Ma-roon leader Kojo and the British Govern-ment starts today in Accompong, under the grey cloud of a dispute over the timing of the event.
The Tourism Product Develop-ment Company (TPDCo) said Thursday that it had no input into the decision to go ahead with the annual celebration today and tomorrow.
There has been a rift in Ac-compong since the announcement by Maroon leader, Colonel Sydnie Peddie, that the celebration will be held this year on the traditional date, January 6. Those opposing him say that it is a tradition among Maroons that whenever the date of the celebration falls on a Sunday, it is postponed to the following Monday.
The accusations of TPDCo involvement in setting this year's date, followed a release issued to the media by the tourism company on December 27, which stated: The festival will be held over two days, beginning January 5 and running until the sixth and will mark a return to traditional forms of the Maroon, such as craft, food, drumming, dance and choral groups.
It marks the first time the TPDCO is becoming so deeply involved in the annual Accom-pong celebration. TPDCo reached an agreement with the Council of Accompong Ma-roons last year, in which the organisation committed itself to undertaking human resource development and infrastructural improvements, as well as identifying and developing products and services related to tourism.
The TPDCo says that Accompong has "great potential" as a tourist attraction, where visitors can stay in homes in the community while immersing themselves in its culture, but denies affecting traditional decisions.
"As we understand it, the decision to have the festival on Sunday, January 6 was taken by the Maroon Council, the elected body of the Maroons which makes all the decisions regarding the running of the community," the TPDCo said.
The Gleaner reported Thurs-day that a row had developed between Colonel Peddie and his predecessor, Meredie Rowe, over the date for this year celebration.
Mr. Rowe said he was not happy with the fact that this year's celebration will be held on Sunday, January 6. This, he said, has never happened in the 264-year history of the Maroons Peace Treaty, as whenever January 6 falls on a Sunday, the celebrations would not start until the following day (Monday).
