Mas boycott irks Sando mayor

SAN FERNANDO mayor Junia Regrello said he is disappointed that Ivan Kalicharan boycotted the judging point, making his band ineligible for competition and also denying spectators lined up on Harris Promenade the chance to see its costumes.

He said he does not buy into the theory that Independence Avenue was congested and posed a risk to the masquerade which led the reigning band to decide not to compete.

“That is not true at all.”

He believes the money controversy is at the centre of that decision. He said if Kalicharan had told him he was making a principled stand and boycotting the stage over money issues, he would have supported him on principle .

However, he said it came like a thief in the night, since he last spoke to Kalicharan on Sunday and there was no mention of any boycott.

Regrello also denied a claim by the veteran masman that the band was not paid its winnings from 2016-2018, saying the records show the band received its money for those years.

He said the sum for 2018 is still outstanding, but all bills have been submitted to the National Carnival Commission (NCC), which promised to make that payment soon.

The mayor told tNewsday that owing to the paucity of funds the city received – $233,000 – from the NCC, it had guaranteed an appearance fee to all of the bands.

He said, “When the NCC chairman Winston 'Gypsy' Peters came to San Fernando on J’Ouvert morning and saw what we were doing, he said he would guarantee an increase in funds for us to allow us to go back to the old structure of a first-, second- and third-place prize.”

He said Kalicharan had requested the use of Skinner Park on Tuesday and it was granted.

“One hand don’t clap. If we facilitate him, he is supposed to facilitate us – but you boycott the judging point and gone to Skinner Park to gallery yourself.”