Talks of an alliance between the MMM and the Labour Party for the coming general election appear to be moving ahead. The MMM politburo is discussing the affair and looking at a common programme. But nothing is final yet. This was confirmed by the Leader of the party, Paul Bérenger, on a private radio on Thursday.

He also told the radio that the Government and the MMM were on the same wavelength regarding the Chagos Archipelago issue. They wanted the UK to recognise the soveignty of Mauritius over the archipelago and the right of the Chagossians to return to their islands if they so wished.

He added the issue should be kept above party politics. He expected all other parties and stakeholders to speak in one voice not only for the return of Chagos Archipelago but also that of Tromelin.
Bérenger admitted having had a meeting with the Leader of the Labour Party, Dr Navin Ramgoolam, at the start of the week.

The talks were said to be very friendly and discussions centred around a  common political manifesto
and electoral reform in the event of an alliance.

MMM politburo members are reported to be ready to “ give it a try” with the Labour Party in spite of the 1995 bitter electoral experience when both parties went together but hardly two years after the landslide victory,   the MMM was booted out of government in 1997.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday,  the Secretary General of the PMSD, Rama valayden told participants in a nocturnal meeting of his party in Quatre Bornes , that his party saw no problem in an alliance between the Labour Party and another party. “It's the MMM that is anti-PMSD. Its leaders speak words that hurt and make gratuitous allegations against their opponents,” he said.

The Leader of the PMSD said his party would always support the Labour Party.
On the other hand, the leader of the MSM, Pravind Jugnauth, was very critical of the MMM and its leader at his weekly press briefing at the close of the week. He said the MMM is “ begging” for an alliance with Labour and that his principal rival for the coming poll was Paul Bérenger.