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Hypothetical vs Reality

 

It’s a couple of weeks now that speculations have been very high concerning a Labour-MMM coalition. However, no one except a few privileged ones know whether talks would be fruitful and the coalition concluded. This reminds me of an American joke and which reads as follows: 

A lad reaching home after school asked his father whether he knew the difference between the hypothetical and reality. The father replied: Go upstairs and ask your mother whether she would sleep with the milkman if she were paid $ 500,000. The question was put to the mother, who readily answered in the affirmative. The father was then informed of his wife’s decision. Then the father asked his son to put a similar question to his eldest sister. He did so asking her whether she would sleep with her School’s Principal for $500,000.The answer was very positive. So the son reported his sister’s answer to his father. 

The latter replied: Well, son, hypothetically we are millionaires but in reality we have two prostitutes at home!!!

This is typically what’s happening here. Hypothetically, we have an MMM-Labour coalition in the making. But in reality, the Social Alliance is in power and both MMM and MSM are in the opposition, whether loyal or otherwise.

This being said, we can but condemn all past and present governments whose priority was never to change our electoral system and bring in the much needed reforms which would put an end to coalitions, whether pre- or post- electoral. 

 

Rakesh

Port Louis

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The ball is in your court, Mr Bérenger

 

Raj Dayal, leader of the Mouvement démocratique national, is right to ask the President of the Republic to revoke Paul Bérenger as Leader of the Opposition. In the light of his strategy to form a coalition with the Labour Party before the general elections, the constitutional function of his opposition is effectively paralysed. Although there may be issues upon which they may agree upon, such as those relating to security and defence, the function of an opposition is to present a programme for an alternative government.

To add insult to injury, Paul Bérenger makes as if the ball with respect to an eventual Labour Party-MMM alliance is in the PM’s court; he goes on to insinuate that the non-conclusion of an alliance would be the PM’s ‘fault’. While denying that an ultimatum had been given to the PM, the MMM now says that if the PM does not respond positively by Friday 19 March 2010, all negotiations between the two parties would be suspended. What cheek! Paul Bérenger is certainly entitled to speak his mind, but PM Ramgoolam is under no obligation whatsoever to respond to the MMM leader’s advances and flirtations.

Paul Bérenger is the one who, to all intents and purposes, is desperate to rope in the Labour leader into an alliance, so the ball is in his court. One would expect him to take Navin Ramgoolam’s response (by Friday 19 March 2010 or otherwise) as a « NO ». But is he prepared to do that? If not, why not? Could it be that he fears that the non-conclusion of an alliance would bring about the implosion of his own party, the MMM?

 

M Rafic Soormally

London