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National Calypso Monarch Competition
Posted: Thursday, February 19, 2004

The order of appearance for the National Calypso Monarch Competition in Dimanch Gras:

1. Michael Legerton (Protector)
2. Kizzie Ruiz
3. Heather Mc Intosh
4. Carlos James (Skatie)
5. Michael Osuna (Sugar Aloes)
6. Brain London
7. Morel Peters (Luta)
8. Winston Bailey (Shadow)
9. Sandra Des Vignes Millington (Singing Sandra)
10. Winston Scarborough (D Original De Fosto Himself)
11. Steve Pascall (Ras Kommanda)
12. Hollis Liverpool (Chalkdust)

RESERVES: Emerald Phillip and Edwin Ayoung.


Protector: No conflict of interest

By Terry Joseph

PRESIDENT of the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO), Protector yesterday said he saw no good reason to decline from Sunday night's final of the national calypso monarch competition.

On Monday, a protest against his inclusion was lodged by a group of Tuco members, who feel their president should not be a finalist in the contest, saying his presence on stage constitutes a conflict of interest.

"No one has been able to substantiate the conflict of interests charge," Protector said, "and in all honesty, I cannot see how being on stage in a competition could be a conflict of interest with my substantive position as president of Tuco. What the protesters are suggesting is that my office has some kind of unfair influence over judges approved by the very membership and that is a slur on both the jury and my integrity.

"The protesting apparently hasn't noticed that the NCBA president, Richard Afong has a mas band called Barbarossa which enters the Parade of the Bands competition and kings and queens from that band have won top prizes. Pan Trinbago's Patrick Arnold also manages the Our Boys Steel Orchestra and they haven't been barred from Panorama, so there is no custom or practice that rules out the president of Tuco from having the same facility in respect of calypso competitions," Protector said.

"Of course, I am certain it is coincidental that one of the main protesters in that lobby stands to enjoy personal gain – or at least a chance at it – if I step down and that, if anything, is a conflict of interests or questionable motive; not my singing two calypsoes the judges found appropriate to their rationale for choosing finalists.

"The contention that the president should not compete is ludicrous and against all the tenets of calypso. If he or she chooses to decline, that is a personal consideration but to make it mandatory that any person who holds this office should no longer bea calypsonian in the definition his colleagues enjoy is to do the opposite; by imposing a disadvantage.

"The protest is like saying the captain of the West Indies cricket team cannot take part in a single wicket competition because the judges would automatically give him the prize. If we all operate on the premise that the best calypsoes will win the contest (and I hope we do), then only the judges have the responsibility to determine who should be in the final and, for that matter, who goes home with the top prize.

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