Over the years, Mauritius has put in place a political system that provides for effective transfer of power and periodic renewal of the leadership through a competitive multi-party and multi-candidate system, impartial and credible electoral administration, effective electoral oversight of the electoral process, and an informed and active citizenry. We were a rare beacon of good governance in Africa.
Our struggle for greater substantive freedom for individuals and supportive social and institutional arrangements for improving governance has been an on-going process to realize better development outcomes. We ensured that we did put in place and constantly strengthen the traditions and institutions by which authority in a country is exercised. These included (1) the process by which governments are selected, monitored and replaced, (2) the capacity of the government to effectively formulate and implement sound policies, and (3) the respect of citizens and the state for the institutions that govern economic and social interactions among them.
Some of the “fleurons” of these traditions and institutions were our National Assembly and our electoral system, that we bragged was “sans failles”, Together with the fourth estate, they were the cream of our democratic system. But our “momentous engagement with freedom’s possibilities ” meant that the whole institutions of political governance had to be continually nurtured and strengthened to be rooted deeply within society. Thus, attempts were made to genuinely reform the political process that would enhance gender inclusivity, abolish communal representation, introduce elements of proportional representation, registration of corporate financing for political parties, higher ceilings for electoral expenditures by candidates and political groups, strengthening of electoral logistics to include independent setting of the dates for elections and adoption of a code of behaviour for electoral candidates.
But recent events reveal a dramatically altered political reality. The new claimants on the political scene are aiming at absolute power. They are robbing our great traditions and institutions of their greatness, of our passion for fairness and impartiality, of our culture of discussion and tolerance, of our respect for our adversaries, of the bounds and limits in our remarks and behaviour that we should not trespass at any cost. And if we ever did, there were the stalwarts that rectified it with their voice of rectitude that spoke above the political din. Mind you, it was not shrill theatrics or mere political stunts used to gain instant publicity that we see these days, the more so now that the debates are televised; we lived by our ideals.
We have now a new breed of politicians who suffer from an ethical and governance deficit. They reek of totalitarian sulphur and run our institutions like personal fiefdoms with their over bloated egos and arrogance and the accompanying vulgarity to squash anyone who dares not cow down before them like whipped curs. They are more at ease with their very own, the sycophants and supplicants. Their political manoeuvres and calculations are driven by one instinct: regime survival at any cost. And we are paying very dearly for this through their autocratic and populist policies.
As one of our erudite political stalwarts remarked recently “ Are we still nursing the fast-fading illusion that we are the leaders in Africa ! In the corruption and ‘democraticide” stakes, most certainly !
Indeed, a vulgar band of neophytes has taken over our National Assembly. This is unacceptable- their bloodcurdling toxic behaviour that is infecting our august National Assembly. We strongly denounce the indecent behavior of this vulgar band of neophytes from the parliamentary majority ( led by Stephane Toussaint in the approving presence of the Minister for Gender Equality) towards Joanna Berenger.
We squirm at such style of politics reminiscent of the bad old ways of corrupt authoritarianism, demagoguery and shabby governance of some banana republics . Such behaviour, c'est pas dans nos moeurs. Bereft of the right words to condemn such behaviour, we hang our head in shame.
