Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Johanne Prosper
Published on 2024-04-04 11:00:54
The three leaders of the opposition alliance in consultation with their respective state-majors before a new round at the end of the week.
In the margin of mobilization for the May 1st gatherings on the occasion of Labor Day, which also marks the start of the campaign for the upcoming legislative elections, the three leaders of the PTr-MMM-PMSD alliance, Navin Ramgoolam for the Labour Party, Paul Bérenger (MMM) and Xavier-Luc Duval (PMSD) met yesterday at River Walk to review “the two or three small details that were being finalized”.
“I cannot say what we discussed but we made good progress. We will meet again on Friday and maybe before,” said Navin Ramgoolam after yesterday’s discussions within the opposition alliance. Regarding the distribution of tickets among the three parties, he made it clear that it is a formula that has already been discussed and is not being questioned. “However, it can be improved,” he added.
“We have met to discuss a few small details that are being finalized. I can say that we have made good progress. We will possibly meet on Friday. There are two or three things that we need to settle, and we will try to finish that. We have discussed many things,” continued Navin Ramgoolam. He emphasized that the 35-17-8 ticket distribution formula is not being questioned. “This formula has already been discussed before. It is not being questioned. But we are finding solutions,” he said.
The leader of the Labour Party maintains that the main objective remains to rid the country of the influence of the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM). “We must not focus on tickets. We are not doing this for ourselves. The country is the priority. We need to find a way to get rid of this government,” he said, while avoiding delving into the political hurdles to be navigated in the current situation.
“We will not say what we are discussing. The MSM was happy to divide us, but it will regret it. There are no cracks between us, otherwise we would not have taken so long to discuss this quantity of time,” he said. Navin Ramgoolam also hinted that the three parties plan to hold a joint political rally on May 1st.
In informed circles among the three parties, it was suggested last night that these political hurdles would include, among other things, the distribution of tickets of power in the capital, with the PTr, MMM, and PMSD already having 9 incumbent parliamentarians. Apparently, the potential electoral allies of the PTr are eyeing strategic placements in Port Louis, thus potentially impacting the power balance of the Labour Party in this urban region.
As for Xavier-Luc Duval’s move towards the Château du Réduit in case of victory in the elections, this possibility was reportedly ruled out from the discussions, with the main concerned person still listed in the Front Bench of the red-purple-blue Shadow Cabinet. Furthermore, Navin Ramgoolam, Paul Bérenger, and Xavier-Luc Duval are expected to meet again at the end of the week, with internal decisions communicated between them.
The end of the week appears to be a decisive moment within the parliamentary opposition with the password being “make or break.” This is what is being hinted at in informed circles. With the political machinery that will be set in motion after the celebrations of Ugadi and Eid-ul-Fitr next week, discussions that drag on for a long time on and off are not favored in the political arena. Stay tuned…
Read the original article(French) on Le Mauricien
