Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Johanne Prosper
Published on 2024-03-04 12:00:14
Frustration is mounting among the elected officials of the MSM/ML bloc and the PMSD in the Beau-Bassin/Rose-Hill Council, who say they are facing on-the-ground consequences of the “disastrous management of the city by Mayor Rajeenee Mootoo-Caroopen (MSM).” There have been attempts by government leaders to close ranks and start fresh, but things escalated on Tuesday during the last Council session, where the mayor struggled to contain the flood of criticisms directed at her. Ravi Kushna (MSM) was one of the most vocal voices to speak out. The actions of deputy mayor Mahen Choolun (ML), accused by his peers of “wanting to be the caliph instead of the caliph,” are also being singled out.
In the hot seat, Rajeenee Mootoo-Caroopen, close to Minister Joe Lesjongard, is managing to hold her ground for now. But for how long? With increasing pressure from the majority of her colleagues, things seem to be souring for someone who spares no effort in presenting a positive image through her Facebook page. “These beautiful images are just a façade,” according to some officials who paint a picture of an administration in chaos, maintained by someone who is ignorant of the mechanisms of the function. “The Monitoring Committee is not functioning”
At least eight dissenters had secretly gathered about ten days ago with the firm intention of passing a motion of censure against the mayor, who narrowly avoided the guillotine thanks to the intervention of MPs Ivan Collandavelloo and Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo – who asked her to pull herself together – and the refusal of the PMSD to get involved in the majority’s intentions. The main target was in the crosshairs of her detractors during the last Council session, which took place in a highly tense atmosphere. Arnaud Poinoosawmy (PMSD) initiated the questioning by asking Rajeenee Mootoo-Caroopen if the infrastructure under the jurisdiction of the municipality had been evaluated after each cyclone which caused massive flooding. The mayor pointed out that “following the passage of cyclones Belal, Candice and Eleanor, the situation/assessment reports were submitted to the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Center (NDRRMC) on 16 January, 26 January and 23 February, respectively, highlighting all affected localities/facilities… As for cleaning, clearing, collecting and carting away post-cyclonic waste, it is done by in-house labor as well as our contractors.” This response seemed to convince very few councilors, such as Gilwyn L’assiette (PMSD), who highlighted “the negligence of the road services resulting in an accumulation of waste and flower beds empty or overrun with weeds that promote the proliferation of insects, especially during the current dengue fever outbreak, while streetlights are malfunctioning.”
The debates took a different turn following an additional question from Olivier Barbe (PMSD): “Has the municipality’s Monitoring Committee, responsible for monitoring all areas of the organization’s activities and evaluating them to determine the impact, quality, and effectiveness of the work, met frequently recently?” Rajeenee Mootoo-Caroopen answered in the affirmative. However, her party colleague and chairman of the committee, Ravi Kushna, thought otherwise. “False! Since you took over the reins of the municipality, the Monitoring Committee has not been functioning. There should be at least two sessions per month, but you have only convened one meeting in the past three months,” he declared. This remark led to heated exchanges between the two, before other MSM/ML councilors joined the debate, amid jeers from the PMSD benches. “I know that there are meetings to conspire against us,” emphasized Deputy Mayor Mahen Choolun, pointing at some councilors from his own side.
The discussions about the renovation and reopening of the Quorum gymnasium in Plaisance on February 3 also brought revelations. In response to a question from Gilwyn L’assiette, the mayor stated that the renovation works cost around Rs 19 million. Gilwyn L’assiette then stirred things up by claiming that “just a few days after the reopening of the gymnasium, a short circuit caused by overheating of electric wires occurred and could have had serious consequences.” After learning from Rajeenee Mootoo-Caroopen that a budget of Rs 1.9 million had been allocated by the municipality for electrical works and that an investigation will be initiated to determine responsibility for electrical failures, the blue councilor wanted to know if the contractor had provided a warranty certificate to the municipality. After a few minutes of hesitation, the mayor stated that she would send a letter to the contractor. “We have erred somewhere,” admitted Deputy Mayor Mahen Choolun, referring to the protocol related to the reopening ceremony of the Quorum gymnasium, which took place without fanfare or residents, sportsmen.
The events on Tuesday revealed the fractures within the MSM-ML majority, and hostilities continued after the Council session. Mahen Choolun, for one, spoke his mind in the corridors of the town hall to Nazir Jungee, his predecessor as deputy, accusing him of “playing into the hands of the opposition.” Rajeenee Mootoo-Caroopen echoed the sentiment in the dedicated WhatsApp group for majority councilors, using harsh words: “It’s disgusting that some are trying to side with the PMSD. You are playing into the hands of the opposition,” wrote the mayor.
Read the original article(French) on Le Mauricien
