THE ongoing controversy over whom or what is a calypsonian boiled over at the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians’ Organisation (TUCO) East Zone elections held last Sunday.

Pandemonium broke out when it was found that a new list of electors had omitted financial members of TUCO who were not classified as “calypsonians”.

Tempers flared and discussions became heated to the point where one observer exclaimed “but they going to fight”.

After hammering out a new list of eligible electors, TUCO President Michael Legerton had to be escorted from the rowdy proceedings by bodyguards.

The “disenfranchisement” of several financial members of the organisation eventually led to a postponement of the poll with some of the members shouting “no elections today.”

The voting, which should have begun at about 10 a.m., eventually got going at 2 p.m.

TnT Mirror was later told that an employee of TUCO and her close relative, who threatened to “mash up the ballot boxes”, spearheaded the rowdy delay.

One candidate, Sylvester Lockhart, known in the calypso world as “Poser” told TnT Mirror that he was at a loss as to why two women who never wrote or sang a calypso, were allowed to disrupt the proceedings.

“Something is seriously wrong with TUCO East Zone, they have something to hide,” Poser declared.

He added: “What was even more unusual was that members of the outgoing executive did nothing to stop the two women, only Allrounder, who is not a member of the East Zone, stood up to them.”

Mirror was also told that a few weeks ago, Johnny King, who was eventually elected East Zone chairman, was heard saying: “I don’t think they would have any election you know.”

However, by that time, it was already known among some members of the organisation that there was a plan by certain people to put a stop to the election.

This further spurred on several calypsonians to take a closer look at the East Zone operations.

Poser said that he, along with Pink Panther, Sugar Aloes, Skatie, Stinger, and Explainer decided to take up the challenge thrown out to calypsonians recently to “take care of their own affairs”.

High on their list of priorities was to investigate questionable operations at the East Zone office in Arima, including a lack of accountability, improper auditing methods, and a whop-ping $2,000 telephone bill.

“Imagine a $2,000 bill run up during the calypso off-season, when nothing going on and only this woman in the office,” said Poser.

Poser believes that this is why some members of the East Zone doesn’t want anyone else serving on the executive: “We intended to get into office and look into these matters,” he said.

However, even though he didn’t win the position he contested, Poser said others on his slate won and now form a majority on the executive.

“I had one intention: to serve for three years, do my part to make things better, then move on; but something is terribly wrong with the East Zone, they have something to hide.

“I am disturbed that these two women were allowed to disrespect my 37 years of calypso, and if I have to continue serving in my organisation, they must not be there,” Poser concluded sternly.