Severed ties

The beginning of this New Year is marked, on the political front, by some sort of unconcealed hostility of the MSM against its former partner, the PMSD.

If we go by press reports of what were discussed during the first meeting of the politburo of the MSM for 2017, held on Monday 9 January, 2017, it is obvious that all the ties are now severed between the two former partners in the Lepep Alliance. 

SPEEDING UP THE PROCESS of “LEV PAKE ALLE”

Also, this goes without saying that the MSM will speed up the process of “lev paké alé” (take your personal belongings and leave) of all those who are close to the PMSD, unless, they have changed allegiance, in the meantime. Just like the soft-spoken Mr. Ramalingum Maistry, who has resigned as president of the PMSD, on the grounds that he failed to understand the real motives of his former leader to quit the Government. 

The municipalities are the new battlegrounds of the now political rivals, the MSM and the PMSD. On Wednesday, Mrs. Arline Koenig, a PMSD municipal councilor, was dismissed from her post as Deputy Mayor of Quatre Bornes, following a no-confidence motion, tabled by the Mayor Mr. Atmaram Sonoo, as per the provisions of section 36 of the Local Government Act of 2015. The motion was debated and passed against her by a majority of twelve against seven. 

Shortly after her being removed from office, Mrs. Koenig told the media that “the municipal council itself is “illegal” as all these parties (the MSM, the PMSD and the ML) contended these municipal elections, held on 14 June,2015,under the common banner of the Lepep Alliance. As at date, it seems that the PMSD might take up the matter in Court.

Similarly, the meeting of the municipal council of Beau Bassin/ Rose Hill held on Wednesday afternoon, was marked by a walk-out of the seven PMSD councilors, in protest against the reshuffle of several municipal committees, namely on Health, Permits and Licenses, Infrastructure and Welfare. The Mayor, Mr. Ken Fong has later told the press that the reshuffle was decided after he consulted the vice-president of the PMSD Mr. Varen Andee but Mr. Olivier Barbe and Mr. Wendy Delord, both PMSD councilors, openly expressed their discontent. 

HOSTILITIES ARE BOUND TO CONTINUE

These hostilities between the MSM and the PMSD are bound to continue in the days to come. In Curepipe, ML municipal councilor Mr. Ashley Mungapen, has tabled a motion of no-confidence against the Mayor Mrs. Nathalie Gopee, who is a member of the PMSD. The Mayor has convened a special meeting of the council on next Wednesday so that the motion can be debated. Mrs. Gopee told the press that she has always worked in the best interests of inhabitants of Curepipe.

On Friday, the Lord Mayor Mr. Oumar Kholeegan will introduce the motion of no-confidence against the Deputy Lord Mayor Mr. Chris Dick. On the same day, changes will be brought to the various municipal committees at Vacoas-Phoenix. The PMSD does not hold any post of Mayor or Deputy Mayor at Vacoas-Phoenix and Beau Bassin/Rose Hill.

It is worth mentioning that although the motion of no-confidence is tabled and debated at municipal councils, it is the Minister of Local Government who will revoke the Lord Mayor, Deputy Lord Mayor, Mayor or Deputy Mayor, as per provisions of section 36 of the Local Government Act of 2015. Also the same section provides that election for replacement in the above-mentioned posts shall be held within seven days of the order. 

“ As the opposition is trying to rebuild itself with its diverse components (the PMSD, the MMM, the Labour Party, the MP and the independent MPs), things are still unclear regarding the replacement of Sir Anerood Jugnauth as Prime Minister."

In Quatre Bornes, it is very likely that ML municipal councilor Mrs. Pamela Ayacanou will be elected as the new Deputy Mayor while in Curepipe, the current Deputy Mayor Mr. Devind Bhurosah (from the MSM) could be elected as the new Mayor. In Port Louis, councilor Mr. Daniel Augustin (from the ML) has a good chance of being elected as the new Deputy Lord Mayor. 

According to l’Express, issue of Thursday 12 January,2017, one of the assessors of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) Mr. Richard Toulouse could be shown the door, because his name had been suggested by the PMSD. However. Mr. Toulouse denied having any political affiliation. Mr. Toulouse, an attorney, was sworn in as assessor to the EOC, on 20 September,2016, in replacement of Miss Mary Jane Yerriah, who had to resign on 11 August,2016, following a controversy regarding the number of  years she has practiced as lawyer, 

Another article in the same newspaper mentions about the sacking of six employees of the Tourism Authority. They seem to be close to the PMSD. Their contracts with the Tourism Authority have been terminated once the portfolio of Tourism has been entrusted to the Leader of the ML (Muvman Liberater) Mr. Ivan Collendavelloo. 

TAKING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION 

Interestingly enough, if some have decided to leave the PMSD as this party quitted the Lepep  Alliance Government, others are taking the opposite direction. An article published in Le Défi Quotidien, issue of Monday 9 January,2017, tends to suggest that one of the three current CEOs of  Landscope Mauritius Mr. Koomaren Chetty could leave the MSM to join the PMSD. It is rumored that there exist some squabbles between Mr. Chetty (who was an unreturned candidate of the Lepep Alliance in constituency number 18 Belle Rose/Quatre Bornes) and the Minister of Good Governance Mr. Roshi Bhadain. 

On the other hand, the secretary general of the PMSD Dr. Mahmad Khodabaccus has officially invited Me. Rama Valayden to join the party. Earlier Me.Valayden had  joined the Mauritius Labour Party in a bid to re-organize it. For some time Me. Valayden, one of the founding members of the Mouvement Républicain (MR) was politically on his own way, after the fusion of the MR with the PMSD. He probably made the same mistake that Mr. Harish Boodhoo did in 1983 when he caused the PSM (Parti Socialiste Mauricien) to merge with the budding MSM. 

It would appear that although Mr. Valayden recognizes that Dr. Navin Ramgoolam has depicted that he can bounce back in spite of the numerous blows from his political opponents, the Labour Party is yet to be transformed into a well-organized entity.

As the opposition is trying to rebuild itself with its diverse components (the PMSD, the MMM, the Labour Party, the MP and the independent MPs), things are still unclear regarding the replacement of Sir Anerood Jugnauth as Prime Minister.

However, the Prime Minister-in-waiting Mr. Pravind Jugnauth is very much in the forefront these days. Besides, he is chairing the Task force in view of the celebrations of Cavadee and Maha Shivaratree. Most of the socio-cultural leaders were all praises for Mr. Jugnauth, adding that the latter was well inspired to start meetings and site visits of the Task Force  quite early. Will the official opening ceremony of celebrations marking Maha Shivaratree constitute a major landmark? Will Mr. Pravind Jugnauth address the gathering as Minister of Finance or Prime Minister? Is it in this spirit that he is one of the awardees of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award  2017?