Calls for Pan Trinbago’s (PT) election heightens in the midst of the Taste of Carnival Pan Shows.
A cross-section of band leaders from different parts of Trinidad came out to yet another demonstration outside Pan Trinbago’s office at the corner of Duke and Melbourne streets in Port of Spain. Some of the bands were Trinidad East Side and Cocorite Pan Groovers from the East, Antillean All Stars and San City represented the South, High Landers, Hi Larks from the heart of Port of Spain with Western Philharmonic and Nuttin Big Pan Groovers from the West. The band leaders at the protest were saying that they were happy that the Taste of Carnival pan show was reported to be a success by Beverly Ramzey Moore proving therefore that we can have our Convention/election regardless of the excuses.
“We will continue to speak in the public domain about the illegal executive of Pan Trinbago until an election is held”. This was the sentiment of the bandleaders who gathered on Monday the 21st of February which coincidentally fell two days after Pan Trinbago’s Taste of Carnival Pan Show for small and medium bands and five days before the show for the medium and large category.
According to the organizer of these protests Mr. Keith Byer, former Vice President of Pan Trinbago and one of the authors of PT’s constitution, the dates for his demonstrations were organized way before the official announcement of the Taste of Carnival. However, the timing could not be better to strengthen his case for the Convention/elections to be held. The reasons given by Beverley Ramzey Moore and her illegal executive was that the membership cannot gather to host a Convention/election. Now that PT has hosted NCC’s Taste of Carnival pan show on Saturday and will be hosting a pan show on a larger scale next Saturday, it clearly shows that there was never a valid reason to postpone Pan Trinbago’s Convention/election for 300 delegates.
Pan Trinbago’s Convention/election was due in October but was put off indefinitely by the then executive. Based on the constitution of Pan Trinbago, the only way the constitution could be amended, suspended or varied is through a Special Convention which did not happen. Since then, there have been continuous calls by a growing number of steel bands to call the election. Mr. Jason Harewood, the delegate for Trinidad East Side, spoke out on Monday for the first time “What we allow will continue so we cannot stay silent on that matter anymore”. Another first timer Mr. Ramesh Ramroop, who is a delegate of a different band, says that it is a travesty that persons are allowed to hijack our organization and continue to run our affairs.
Three former executive members who recently resigned, two from the Northern region and one from the central executive also came out to support the calls for an election. Gerard Mendez, who was voted into office under a Beverley Ramsey-Moore ticket, described Beverly as a dictator and her actions of holding onto power without an election is proof of her dictatorship. Fuad Abu Bakr who is leading the legal charge said that all the paperwork has been submitted and his hope is that within the coming week the matter would be called to court.
In response to the peaceful protest outside Pan Trinbago’s office, Pan Trinbago organised a group of their officers to act as a counter to the movement. Their response in defence of the illegal postponement of the Convention/election was to throw continuous insults towards the delegates who were peacefully protesting for their right to vote. Despite the insults, the protesters kept their composure and insisted that character assignation is just a distraction to the topic at hand. The protesters are concerned about the precedent being set that any future executive may decide to stay on illegally because of their fear of facing the polls.
Aquil Arrindell
San City Steel Symphony
Replies
This is a general comment really directed to Glenroy Joseph and others who can relate to the discussion of underlying issues with the Sanchoce show (which we all applauded). How would a union work among pan players? who would be representing who?
About the issue raised by Gerald Mendez, how can the Pan Trinbago executives be prevented from seeking the interest (in the selection and adjudication) of their individual bands?
Sadly, there are reports from some credible witnesses of such behaviours at the executive levels of the organisation.
Aquil: I have INSIDE SOURCES from INSIDE THE EXECUTIVE who tell me that THE WHOLE JUDGING SYSTEM in the TASTE of PAN PANORAMA is RIGGED to give THE PRIZES to THE EXECUTIVE MEMBERS and PREFERRED VOTERS the PRIZE MONEY from THE GIMME GIMME GOVERNMENT.
BEVEREY RAMSEY-MOORE are RIGGING THE RESULTS to make sure that THE LIMITED FUNDS stay in HER LOYAL CIRCLE!!!