Randomizing object-arrays: IUS 8.2s003 ncvlog ERROR *EXPRDV

I can't seem to run rand_mode() or constraint_mode() directly on an (indexed) element of an array.

Example:

module randfail;

class cls_randomer;

  rand int unsigned x, y;
  constraint con_x {
    x < 1000;
    x > 15;
  }
constraint con_y { y < 100; }

endclass : cls_randomer

//cls_randomer randomer[] = new[5]; // dynamic array
cls_randomer randomer[5];  // non-dynamic array

initial begin : initial_begin
  static cls_randomer temp;

  // Init: shut off randomization of 'x' , later we'll re-enable them on  case-by-case

  foreach( randomer[i] ) begin : foreach_i
    temp = new();
    temp.rand_mode(0);
    temp.constraint_mode(0);
    temp.con_x.constraint_mode(1);

    randomer[i] = new();
    randomer[i].rand_mode(0); // ncvlog: *E,EXPRDV
    randomer[i].constraint_mode(0);
    randomer[i].con_x.constraint_mode(1);

//    randomer[i] = temp;
    $display("creating & randomizing object#%0d", i );
  end : foreach_i

end :initial_begin

endmodule : randfail

irun: 08.20-s003: (c) Copyright 1995-2008 Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

    randomer[i].rand_mode(0);
                        |
ncvlog: *E,EXPRDV (randfail.sv,29|24): Expecting a rand or randc variable as the prefix to the rand_mode task/function.
...

errors: 3, warnings: 0

Basically, I have to use a temporary (scalar) object to do the following:  run the built-in methods rand_mode() and constraint_mode() on the scalar-object, then assign the object back to the target element of my object-array.