Does the latest protest represent a new dawn?

It may be true that street protests cannot be the way to run a country, but the corollary is that this ups the onus of responsibility on the authorities to deliver on all aspects of public governance

By Dr R Neerunjun Gopee

Quibbles about the best estimate of how many people were out in the streets at Port Louis on last Saturday afternoon are pointless and a sheer waste of time. When the numbers are in the tens of thousands, a few thousands this way or that way in what are after all only estimates don’t have much significance from a larger perspective.

These differences, though, trouble the egos of politicians whose horizon is limited to the next election despite the fact that, election after election, the outcomes have shown no correlation with the size of crowds during the pre-electoral campaigning.

What is important is that there was, undeniably, a crowd come to manifest its discontent at the way things are going in the country, and that is what matters.

Three considerations arise in the wake of such manifestations:

• The impact of street protests on the political process.
• Is there any real change in the aftermath?
• What is the alternative proposed if any?

Since we are living in a networked global village, we have to look at the wider world to learn from any lessons gained from similar movements elsewhere and whether they are applicable in our context.

The current pattern of public demonstrations was probably triggered by what has come to be known as the Arab Spring, the ‘wave of pro-democracy protests and uprisings that took place in the Middle East and North Africa beginning in 2010 and 2011, challenging some of the region’s entrenched authoritarian regimes’. The radical idea, as has been repeatedly expressed and as loudly here too, is for the ruling regime to go – or be thrown out.

This happened, for example, where the Arab Spring was launched, in Tunisia, when the ruler Ben Ali was forced to go into exile. But mostly, the governments have remained in place. In France, the protest by the Gilets Jaunes that lasted for several months did not lead to the ousting of President Macron and his government. In fact, there was hardly any yielding to the demands of the protesters.

In Hong Kong, not only have there been some arrests by the Chinese authorities, the latter came up with new legislation that is even more stringent than the previous one regarding such protests. In Byelorussia, the existing regime is still in place and will stay put, according to the current President whose translated speech I heard, wherein he said that there will be no revolution and this is not the way to change a government. The latest news from there is that a further round of street protests is planned to start soon.

Given our democratic set-up – with all its flaws as in all other democracies in crisis or in failure – with a comfortable majority despite the loss of three members it is more than likely that the elected regime in place will complete its remaining mandate.

This then brings us to the second point which is more immediately relevant, because it is about doing things not only differently but better. Again, it is the Arab Spring that opens our eyes. Several write-ups in leading papers on the occasion of its tenth ‘anniversary’ lamented the fact that not only did governance not change, in fact matters worsened in several of the countries where pressure was put to bring about improvements in the lives and living conditions of the populations concerned.

Can we expect a transformation to take place locally? The vehemence of the protests beginning with the one at Mahebourg for the Wakashio disaster and the non-stop media coverage thereof indicates that this is the Plan B goal in view, Plan A being regime change.

The least one can say is that we hope so, in light of the all the dysfunctions and malfunctions during the Covid emergency procurement process and related matters that are being revealed as a result of investigations and enquiries, including the battles being waged on the legal front to establish how and where things went wrong. When the rulings eventually come and confirm that there were irregularities, will remedial measures be then instituted to ensure that rules and regulations are strictly abided by with immediate effect for future transactions? And what about making good for the wrongs already perpetrated? What, for example, can be done about an obscure supplier company with which business was done online and that simply vanishes in thin air when a claim is made for faulty equipment or whatever?

It may be true that street protests cannot be the way to run a country, but the corollary is that this ups the onus of responsibility on the authorities to deliver on all aspects of public governance, including playing by the rules and taking firm action against defaulters. This, admittedly, is a work in progress, but unless it is visibly done, confidence will continue to erode and the public cannot be faulted for loudly urging for change.

As was done on Saturday last, again. The slogans and posters displayed sent clear messages about what the demonstrators felt were wrong. There is not only a general perception but broad consensus in the silent majority on these messages, and this is a reality that had better not be ignored.

However, the next query that follows is perhaps the most crucial one as regards the future of the country: what is the concrete, viable, sustainable alternative that is proposed? What, in other words, is that fabled projet de société that one hears so much about? In an atmosphere charged with emotional outbursts about the wrongs that are plaguing the country and its citizenry, it would perhaps be naïve to expect that such a serious matter that deserves reflecting upon in serenity would receive attention. But that has to be the basic concern for the way forward.

Saying what is wrong is one thing; doing what is right is another. More complicated, and many obstacles on the way. The people will not be satisfied with mere declarations of intention without spelling out the how and the when of the proposed changes that are projected as transformative for them.

Hope runs high that the Saturday manifestation represents a new dawn for the country. Will that come to be?

* Published in print edition on 16 February 2021