The next round of the tug-of-war between Dr Navin Ramgoolam and Sir Anerood Jugnauth has as backdrop the National Assembly. In one month’s time, will Ramgoolam consolidate his majority or will there be major political development that will take citizens to the poll again? 

After nearly half a century (44 years to be exact) since Mauritius became independent, the population is still in search of nationhood. Our Republic is still in the making and the sense of belonging to a motherland is far from being universally achieved.

When the Local Government Bill was voted at the National Assembly on Wednesday 7 December 2011, nobody believed that, included in the new Bill, were some provisions likely to create a stir among politicians. It was all about the realignment of municipal wards. Since then, the MSM came alive with new proposals, the MMM became vociferous and the President of the Republic greener than usual. As for Dr Navin Ramgoolam, he was clear at the summing up of debates on the Bill: those who are not satisfied could still go to the President for redress.  Sir Anerood Jugnauth is presently consulting all stakeholders to find a consensus on the matter.

The two highest dignitaries of the Christian community in Mauritius, His Grace the Archbishop Ian Ernest and His Worship the Bishop of Mauritius, Mgr Maurice Piat, launched their respective pastoral letter this week in the context of Lent 2012, which started with Ash Wednesday. During the following 40 days Christians are called upon by their respective church leaders to meditate on the content of the letters written for them. While Catholics are somewhat astonished at the theme of their bishop’s letter ‘The Blessing in Believing’, the Anglicans on the other hand are outright embarrassed when their Archbishop put the question to them: ‘Of What Use is the Church in To-day’s World?’

The President of the Mauritius Sanatan Dharma Temples Federation, Somduth Dulthumun is all fiery at what is happening these days with the head of government who has to face severe criticisms because of the speeches he pronounced at religious events.

Raouf Gulbul is one of our most prominent barristers who has fought and won many cases where Human Rights was the main issue. In view of the presentation of the Police and Criminal Evidence Bill, he makes a review of the situation and proposes what is to be done to prevent unnecessary hardships to our citizens.

We have, since the publication of the Carcassonne Report, discussed lengthily on the need for an electoral reform by giving the opportunity to the civil society and politicians to voice out their criticisms and at the same time make suggestions of what is best needed for Mauritius. In this last chapter, we ask women involved in politics to comment on the matter.

After having given the opportunity to Suttyhudeo Tengur and Jimmy Harmon, defenders of the hindi and creole languages respectively, to comment on the Carcassone Report, today we open our columns to leaders of small political parties to voice their opinion on this issue.

The Electoral Reform, as proposed by Pr. Vernon Bogdanor, Pr. Guy Carcassone and Pr. Pere Vilanova, is becoming a piece of theoretical thesis for Mauritians to analyse, while at the same time giving them the opportunity to uncover their subconscious fears that the group or community to which they belong may lose their acquired rights.

In his New Year message, the Prime Minister, Dr Navin Ramgoolam, with much gesticulations and stressing his words and emphasising what he wanted to drive to his audience, wanted to convince that his government is on the right path and that this is due to him. But there was not a single mention of the country’s debt crisis, rising unemployment, lower educational  standards, a more demanding health services, a less productive agriculture and a chaotic traffic on our roads where pedestrians fear to tread.

The long awaited report on reforms of our electoral system is at last on the table of all political parties. It seems that the report meets consensus except for some minds trying desperately to bring confusion and bar its way for its implementation.

Private TV allowed
“Provisions already exist in the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act for the IBA to issue licences to private television operators,” the Prime Minister told Parliament in reply to a question put to him by Mahen Jhugroo, MP of Mahebourg/ Plaine Magnien. However he added that “one factor that may be inhibiting the advent of private television is the restriction in section 19 of the Act which limits foreign shareholding in a company applying for a licence to 20% only.” He reassured the House that it was “clearly mentioned in the Electoral Manifesto of 2010 and the Government Programme 2010-2015, that Government would facilitate the operation of private television in Mauritius and would address the issue of shareholding in the electronic media.” He added that “in this regard, active consideration is being given to amending the IBA Act in the context of the media law reform.”