An Outstanding Victory

Forum

By Feroze Bundhun
London

“Revenge is a dish best served cold,” says the proverb. The new PM has plenty of time to let it chill properly before exacting his retributions for all the indignities he endured over the past ten years at the hands of a regime that, as we now know, bordered on fascism, reminiscent of the North Korean model — nothing less! Appropriately enough, the party of the Jugnauths was named ‘MSM’ or “Mouvement Sans Moralité.” Dr Ramgoolam faced no fewer than ten criminal charges after the 2014 elections; all were dismissed by the courts, one after another. It takes significant moral strength to survive such immense political pressure, endure imprisonment, and still live to fight another day — even if it is a decade later.

The new PM is not a petty politician who would waste time on vendettas against yesterday’s opponents. He has more important work in hand, for instance: reforming the Constitution by abolishing the Vice-Presidency, the best loser system, and introducing proportional representation to avoid a repeat of the 60-0 outcome, where the winner takes all in a First-Past-The-Post system. He greatly admires the Constitution and the country’s institutions. He will surely erase all remnants of fascism — a political ideology marked by a dictatorial leader who suppresses opposition and dissent, subordinating individual interests to his own or his cronies’ benefit.

The PM should also seriously consider abolishing all forms of discrimination in public life, whether based on religion, gender, caste, or ethnicity — not least because he won the election on a mandate of unity. The best loser system is an anachronistic remnant of the colonial era, and now is the perfect time to restore equality of opportunity in all walks of life.

The new government has clearly stated its aims of restoring democracy, liberty, and personal freedom, beginning with the immediate dismantling of phone tapping. Undoubtedly, our new leaders face the enormous task of repairing the economy, which will take time. However, for those guilty of serious crimes, the reckoning has already begun. The new Prime Minister will not engage in petty matters but is firmly committed to repairing the damage done to our institutions. He is not driven by vengeance — only a determination to restore trust and respect in these institutions.

His long experience at the head of government suggests he is fully capable of achieving his goals with relative ease, especially in partnership with Paul Bérenger, with whom he ran the election on a “dream ticket.” His reforms will likely consign opposition parties such as PMSD, Linion Reform, etc., to the dustbin of history — if not voluntarily, then forcibly — thus ending the solipsistic approach to politics in our country once and for all.

We wish the new government every success in its efforts to end the climate of fear we have endured for the past decade.

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 22 November 2024