How Deep Is The Mauritian Problem?
When a leader refuses to admit defeat (Ramgoolam) and a government refuses to admit wrong-doing, the thin rational line is crossed and corrupt practices set in…
Mauritius has entered an era of challenges, with global disruptions reaching its shores.
COVID-19 has resurfaced and this is putting the country at further risk of an economic downturn.
The population is divided on whether the government should call for a new lockdown. Arguments for and against are flying over social media.
A lockdown will cause suffering for the hard-working people, the government do not have the cash to pay compensations or the industries will suffer if there is another round of closures.
This is one side of the story. The other side wants a lockdown to kill the rise of the second round of the virus in the bud.
However, if the country trusts the vaccination exercise, it will be able to defeat the coronavirus soon. This is another argument.
Nevertheless, the surge in the virus has diverted the attention of the political crisis.
Another boat just got stuck on the corals near the coast of Mauritius and this too is the top news from Mauritius.
POLITICAL CRISIS
The current political crisis in Mauritius started with the fall of the Labour Party in 2014.
The MSM-ML-others won the elections in a shock defeat of the MMM-Labour alliance.
Paul Berenger got elected but Labour leader Navin Ramgoolam met an unexpected electoral defeat in Triolet.
To exacerbate the problems within the Labour, the eternal leader rejected all calls for resignation. His troops defend his cause and reject calls for him to quit after the double defeat in 2019.
The question we should ask is this. If the opposition, which is supposed to defend democratic principles, refuses to abide by the rules of democracy, then what should the populace expect?
They get an authoritarian or a corrupt regime in power that uses the same barometers to remain in power. At all cost.
Navin Ramgoolam’s refusal to let go of the Labour party’s reigns will result in the following:
- MSM will remain in power for the full term ending 2024
- Labour will remain in crisis under Ramgoolam.
- The opposition will remain divided and will not have a chance in the next GE.
As a result, the population will continue suffering and the future of the country will be endangered. Just because one man does not want to accept defeat.
IRREPLACABLE RAMGOOLAM?
Navin Ramgoolam’s supporters in the Labour Party are claiming this: No one can replace him.
The same was told about the old man, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam.
Since SSR left the party’s leadership, the party won all most all the elections it contested.
Navin lost more elections than any Labour leader. SSR was defeated once. He relinquished power and the party survived.
Sir Satcam Boolell took over from SSR. He won the elections alongside Sir Anerood Jugnauth in 1983.
This was only a year and 2 months after the total annihilation of the Labour in the 1982 elections.
SCANDAL PRONE!
After Boolell, came Navin. He was defeated in his first attempt. Joining forces with the PMSD of Sir Gaetan Duval, the party was thrashed in 1991.
Only three MPs from the Labour were elected, Navin Ramgoolam was one of them.
Besides his electoral historic, Mr Ramgoolam is also prone to scandals.
There is a long list of scandals that can be listed here but the readers are sure well aware of them.
Perhaps Ramgoolam Jr is the most scandal-ridden PM in the history of Mauritius?
But sure it is PM Pravind Jugnauth is not far behind and is perhaps taking over the mantle of the most scandal-prone PM in history?
If you follow our logic here, don’t you see a pattern building? The pattern has been there since the inception of Mauritius as an independent state.
The SSR regime was also prone to scandals. There were no months that were passing without a scandal.
Either it was the scandal of the 4-jour a Paris, or the DWC or some fishy deals here and there.
The country was not without scandals. Mauritius, we may say, is a country where political scandals is a national sport.
SAJ had his dirty tricks too. From the Amsterdam Boys to the Harish Boodhoo scandal and the rise of drug peddling in the country…you name it.
On one side you have an opposition where a defeated leader is clinging to power in the Labour.
On the other side, you have a government rigged with scandals and corrupt practices.
Do you think these will help solve the major structural and financial problems facing Mauritius?
No. We have to go deeper. Dig deep into the roots causes of the problems affecting Mauritius.
ROOT CAUSES
To solve problems, we need to find the root causes of these problems. In our case, the rejection of democratic principles by some in the opposition and by the entire governing class is the root cause of many of our problems!
In our next editorial on the problems facing our country, we will dig deeper into these problems. We will try to answer the following:
- What are the root causes of the problems affecting Mauritius?
- Are the demonstrations a solution to the problems?
- Should politicians face the reality check too or should this reality check be only for the population to face?
Answers to some of these questions are out there in the open.
But we are sometimes too blinded by affiliations and emotions to admit.