PNP apologises for bad word slip-up - Selector plays expletives at party conference

C lips of the moment, a curse word was played twice by the selector during the People’s National Party’s annual conference on Sunday have been going viral on social media.

Users have been giving mixed reactions to the violation. While some found the mishap amusing, others demanded that action be taken against the selector, especially after a similar infraction by a popular sound system last month resulted in law enforcers pulling the plug on an event.

Most users called out the political party for playing ‘hypocrites’, pointing out that had it been a dancehall event, police would have ended it and slapped the violating party with charges.

“Oh them caan cuss bad word pon stage but it can play to endorse oonu politrix? Oonu fava ediaat,” one user commented.

“Suh yuh nuh ere all them bad word yah yet unno woulda charge a artiste if him did sing it on stage,” another posted.

However, in acknowledging the breach, general secretary of the PNP, Julian Robinson, told THE STAR that an apology was issued at a press conference yesterday as the party is aware that the incident was inappropriate.

He explained that like they do for all mass political gatherings, selectors booked for Sunday’s event were advised that certain types of music would not be allowed.

“They (selectors) would know that in an environment like that, that kind of music would not be tolerated. We will do our own investigations to find out where the breakdown took place and then decide what action we will take moving forward,” he said. “We can assure you that we will be taking steps to make sure something like that doesn’t happen again.”

Leeway for curse words to be used freely in adult spaces has been the cause of much debate over the past month.

Several key members of the dancehall fraternity have lamented that the words being frowned upon in Jamaica are being embraced and adopted elsewhere in the world and they have been calling on the Government to review the ‘bad word law’.

Following Sunday’s incident, some social media users have been pondering if the slip-up could be a signal that the powers that be have decided to relax the ancient legislation. But, according to Robinson, that is not the case.

“This has nothing to do with the ‘bad word’ law. It obviously wasn’t something we intended to do and it wasn’t fit for public consumption. What took place just wasn’t appropriate and we have apologised for that. There’s nothing more to it than that,” he said.

When THE STAR contacted the selector, who by all indications was at the controls, for a comment, he declined.