Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar was well received by soca fans when she was introduced onstage at the International Soca Monarch competition at the Hasely Crawford Stadium last Friday night, Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal says.Asked to comment on a newspaper report that said the PM was "introduced and booed", Moonilal said: "I was not there but a lot of Government Ministers were...I spoke to several people and my information is that she was well-received by the crowd."They seemed happy that she came out," he added.Moonilal said Persad-Bissessar was also well received by patrons of Panorama finals on Saturday night. He said she stayed in the Panorama until 1 am.
According to newspaper reports, patrons also booed when it was announced that soca artiste Machel Montano won the competition.Some soca fans said it was "politricks" and that "they just wanted to give Machel the $2 million".Earlier, political bacchanal was part of the show as Bunji Garlin, during his performance, threw salvos at Montano. "I go beat you bad, see if Anand Ramlogan go help you," he sang.Also, "When you go by Kamla, give she a CD, not one you burn."Attorney General Anand Ramlogan had earlier said he is looking for Montano to win the competition.
Moonilal, however, dismissed the charges of "politricks" in Montano's win as all part of the bacchanal of Carnival."Don't forget this is Carnival and Carnival is bacchanal...There would be no Carnival if there is no bacchanal," he said."The AG is a fan of Machel and he said so much...Montano has thousands of fans."There is nothing to it...He (Machel) performed and he won."President of the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Association, Brother Resistance (Lutalo Masimba), said if the PM was booed at the International Soca Monarch, he would be displeased.
"I would always be displeased if citizens show disrespect to the leader of the country, regardless of what they feel and their opinion," she said."She is the PM and should be accorded the due respect for her office."Asked if he felt there were "politricks" in the soca monarch competition, Resistance said: "As far as I'm concerned, the judges' decision is final and we are expected to accept the results."He noted, however, that "there is always some level of subjectivity in judging."Asked if politics had a hand in previous competitions, he replied: "To some extent, the political landscape influences in many ways a number of things about the competition."