Breaking the MSM-ML grip on power?

A commentary in the Sunday Times newspaper in Mauritius suggests it may be the end of the road for the Mouvement Liberateur or ML.

The ML is a major partner in the MSM-ML-others government but has since the St Louis scandal been demoted to a junior partner.

Its leader, Ivan Collendavelloo is no more the deputy PM. His revocation by the PM Pravind Jugnauth is not helping the ML, the paper says.

It also says the party is simply sinking in oblivion.

POLITICS OF RALLIES

Mauritius is currently being hit by a series of rallies that has divided the nation, just like the political rallies divide the people.

There is an obvious element missing in the massive rallies led by the Bruneau Laurette group: The Hindu Community.

While some comments are flying on Facebook about the reasons why they are not supporting the pro-environment and ‘remove MSM-ML’ rallies, the reality may be different.

A source says the Hindu community is currently observing a religious ritual that does not allow them to do other activities.

The MSM-ML-others regime won the majority of their seats in the villages where the Hindus are majority. But we know that they won because of the three-corner fight between the MSM-ML-Others, the Labour Party and the MMM.

Hence, it does not mean they are not in support of the movement. Our source says it is only after the Divali celebrations that we will know what is their stand on the pro-environment and remove-MSM-ML protests.

Nevertheless, we believe that many in Mauritius are not lending support in the rallies because of the politics behind such rallies.

PRO-ENVIRONMENT OR LEFTISTS?

The MSM-ML-Others claim to be socialists. But they are not the left. In the current political landscape around the globe, there is not much left, on the left.

There are no extreme leftists, there are no centrist-leftists, there are no Communists, but there are more social-democrats around.

Usually, the pro-environmentalists are the minimalists and the anti-capitalists. In Mauritius, the capitalists are plenty. They can be activists, but they are capitalist blue blood.

The MSM-ML falls in the category of borderline capitalists, They love money—see the amount of monetary scandals in the country— and they love to give hand outs to win elections.

The pro-environmentalists are not capitalists. Some capitalists may support the movement though, based on their religious preferences.

POWER BROKERS

Now, what is keeping the MSM-ML-Others regime firmly in power despite the massive rallies building a pressure cooker on their head?

It is obvious that the regime is a powerful one, with a large number of MPs on their side.

These MPs are not socialists, despite the revolutionary names of their parties, that is Movement Socialist Mauricien or MSM and Mouvement Liberateur (Liberation Movement).

No one ever asked the ML what did they want to liberate the country and the people from?

So much so, that the country is being slowly liberated of the ML. Unless the ML makes a stand and removes Ivan Collendavelloo to keep their chances alive.

To remove the leader, the MPs from the ML will need to become power brokers, but they are not. They are incapable of looking into the future, are they?

Then how do you break the grip of the MSM-ML-Others on power?

With the ML firmly in power and in the pockets of the MSM, what can other parties do?

The opposition is currently united in one group. The Labour, the MMM and the PMSD are in an informal alliance fronting against the MSM-ML-Others.

But they believe they have too few MPs to topple the regime. That is the thinking does not seem to go beyond wooing the majority MPs to jump ship.

They have the principles to abide to. They believe, in general, that jumping ship is undemocratic. But is it not true that by allowing others to jump from them to the MSM-ML etc, they are allowing an anarchical situation to perpetuate?

Ipso-facto, if the Hindu majority is not in support of the movement and the MPs in government are not wooed and canvassed or even harassed to go into the opposition, the movement has a tough call ahead.

Without a stronger political opposition, the movement to remove Pravind Jugnauth as PM is not going to achieve its aims.

Will it fizzle or will it continue its brazen attacks on a regime that is yet to use whatever legal tools it has amassed since 2014 to act?