The Paradox of Victory: High Win, Low Participation in Municipal Polls

Opinion

By Jan Arden

The municipal elections gave their verdict on Sunday 4th of May, after the Electoral Commission’s smooth organisation of same day counting, and it came as no surprise that after their 60-0 triumphant win of last November, the Alliance du Changement sailed through with a comfortable result of 117-3 councillors. One would assume that the four-party Alliance has already worked out the allocation of mayoral portfolios, so the stage is set for Councils, Mayors and their administrative support staff to start chopping through the deadwood left behind by their predecessors, after the hijacking of municipal elections for ten long years.

Despite that scandalous disrespect and the opportunity to express their opinions and choices, some might have been dismayed by the low turn-out at polling stations in our capital city and four other towns: only some 27% bothered to exercise their civic duty, one of the lowest in our short history. Each one of us will have our own reading of that surprising level of abstention and analysts have done their own decipherment in the press and on the airwaves

Clearly, with the former Prime Minister, his MSM party, and their urban allies (Obeegadoo in Curepipe, Ramano in Quatre-Bornes, Collendavelloo in Rose-Hill…) having conceded defeat, there was no one to defend what they had pompously presented six months prior as their key municipal achievements, primarily the metro line for commuters. It’s obviously harder for the Alliance du Changement to attack a deflated argument, which likely contributed to a general sense of disaffection in what was perceived as a one-sided contest, with no disrespect intended towards the tireless campaigners from smaller parties or independent candidates.

But was there more? probed the analysts who are obviously game for analysis and speculation about what’s behind the obvious. It was true that, despite a promised broader reform of regional government — still in the pipeline or on the drawing boards — last Sunday’s polling was conducted under the same municipal governing law as before, and this should not have inherently caused popular disaffection.

Some have argued that the Alliance’s messaging about a forthcoming tough budget or fiscal and economic discipline — however necessary given previous egregious financial mismanagement and our near-junk rating with Moody’s — might have dampened the enthusiasm of ordinary townsfolk. Others suggested that several Alliance promises made during the intense campaign, particularly those impacting everyday finances and livelihoods (free internet, no MBC-TV license fees, lower food prices, reduced fuel costs or VAT, for instance), had yet to materialize in their daily lives.

In essence, the Alliance was perceived as having over-promised and under-delivered on their more mundane, yet important, needs. Of course, the Alliance’s response — that they discovered, upon assuming office, the alarming reality of the economy, the pervasive corruption, the gaping holes in public service pension funds, and the corrupt deals worth billions — has merit. So does the fact that, in the all-out ‘freebies’ competition of the last elections, at least one side, the MSM and its allies, was privy to the true economic state of our debt-ridden economy yet continued to make extravagant promises, even to unborn children of the Republic.

However, that messaging cannot be confined to the Tuesday Parliament sessions of Questions to the Prime Minister, which merely set the stage. The Alliance appears to lack a strategic Communications Director capable of coordinating individual press attachés and other government resources for a more effective dissemination of the Alliance’s responses to an electorate that voted overwhelmingly for Change and is seeking reassurance and relief, not necessarily cold logic and rationality. Furthermore, while the public is informed about the previous regime’s malfeasance and corrupt practices through the heavily publicized FCC enquiries, none of the alleged wrongdoers have yet reached the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) stage, let alone trial and conviction.Read More… Become a Subscriber

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 9 May 2025