Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Johanne Prosper
Published on 2024-04-12 07:30:58
– Solo meeting of PTr agents starting this afternoon
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– MMM convenes a special central committee tomorrow
– PMSD leader revises position on Kushal Lobine and Richard Duval, awaits confirmation of constituency for Adrien Duval
– MSM and its Militant Linite allies increase their presence on the field with daily outings
About twenty days before the political-electoral meeting on May 1st for Labor Day, as a prologue to the campaign for the upcoming general elections, the headquarters of political parties and alliances are preparing to engage in a relentless mobilization on all fronts starting this weekend. Freed from socioreligious constraints, political leaders and their lieutenants will not rest to ensure they can rally their supporters, whether for the gathering in Vacoas with Prime Minister and MSM leader Pravind Jugnauth as the main speaker, also in the front line are Steven Obeegadoo, Alan Ganoo, Kavy Ramano and Ivan Collendavelloo. If not in front of the Port Louis municipality where, technically, the PTr-MMM-PMSD alliance will respond in view of the upcoming general elections.
At the Government House, the strategy for regaining power with constituencies 4 to 14 is still in place. Already, last Saturday, addressing the political bureau and central committee at the Sun Trust headquarters, Pravind Jugnauth reiterated his call for a show of force on May 1st to his supporters. Alongside targeted mobilization meetings, the MSM is finalizing the necessary logistics to ensure transportation and refreshments for those making the trip to Vacoas for Labor Day.
The Linite Militan duo of Obeegadoo-Ganoo has already identified constituencies to complement MSM’s 4 to 14. Thus, after Bambous last Friday, Alan Ganoo, facing the new reality of constituency delimitations, including the elimination of the Bassin electorate from N°14, Linite Militan announces a political congress in Port Louis. In the current situation, the “unknown” in the mobilization equation of the MSM and its allies remains the adjustment of Ivan Collendavelloo’s Muvman Liberater, currently providing an honorary presence in official ceremonies in the lower regions of Plaines-Wilhems.
As for the PTr-MMM-PMSD alliance, this weekend seems decisive, as “it ain’t over, till it’s over.” This is at least what informed sources were implying about the negotiations to seal the deal for the upcoming elections. The exchanges between the three leaders and the contacts between Navin Ramgoolam and Paul Bérenger have intensified in recent days. The opposition leader and PMSD would be seeking some guarantees, especially regarding the constituency where his son Adrien Duval, elected and defeated in N°17 (Curepipe/Midlands) in 2014 and 2019 respectively, will run for universal suffrage. Although the placement of candidates remains a delicate exercise for the three parties, there is confidence among the red, purple, and blue ranks that an electoral agreement could be reached, depending on the choices and compromises of the trio Ramgoolam-Bérenger-Duval.
Despite the tensions that had arisen last week between the MMM and the PMSD, which had subsided following the meeting between the three leaders on Monday at Navin Ramgoolam’s residence in Riverwalk, there were still hurdles to overcome. In Port Louis, only constituency N°4 (Port Louis-North/Montagne-Longue) has not yet been finalized, with potentially the purple and blue parties still able to make last-minute changes. The PMSD would no longer insist on a nomination in N°3 (Port Louis-Maritime/Port Louis-East), a decision that reinforces the position of outgoing Labour MP Eshan Juman.
This choice by the PMSD could allow them to aim for a ticket in N°15 (La Caverne/Phoenix) or even in N°13 (Rivière des Anguilles/Souillac). The MMM also has nominations to settle, including those of Ajay Gunness and Veda Baloomoody, who are awaiting confirmation of their constituencies. The former could be either urban or rural, while the latter is still announced in N°18 (Belle-Rose/Quatre Bornes).
Tuning the violins
The MMM and the PMSD will also need to tune their violins for the nomination of the opposition alliance in N°6 (Grand’ Baie-Poudre d’Or), a constituency that will apparently have two Labour candidates. In addition, the leader of the PMSD seems to have softened his stance regarding the two Sitting MPs Kushal Lobine and Richard Duval.
Since Monday, Xavier-Luc Duval had indicated that he no longer had tickets for these two blue MPs. He was indeed vexed by the fact that Lobine and Duval, through their expressed political positions, had diminished the political bargaining power of the party. The two had subtly hinted that in the event Xavier-Luc Duval ended alliance discussions with PTr and MMM in favor of a rapprochement with the MSM, they would leave the PMSD.
This stance did not sit well with some within the PMSD. However, since Wednesday, things have calmed down, with Xavier-Luc Duval reportedly reconsidering this decision in light of the explanations provided by Kushal Lobine and Richard Duval.
In this final round of negotiations, the PMSD is apparently waiting for a decision to be made regarding the candidature of Adrien Duval. The ticket of the latter, elected in 2014 and defeated in 2019 in N°17, seems to be circulating among several constituencies, including N°4, N°18 through a swap with his father, or even in N°19 (Stanley/Rose-Hill). Xavier-Luc Duval’s party must decide on the fate of the ticket in N°14 (Savanne/Rivière-Noire), with Véronique Leu-Govind already positioning herself in that constituency.
With time running out, especially with the May 1st election showdown, the Labour Party is starting its first solo mobilization meeting this afternoon. “The PTr does not want to be seen as asleep during these lingering negotiations and let the MSM plow the political field in the meantime,” a Labour leader hinted. Labour’s grassroots members are invited to the RJT Building in Ebene to galvanize the troops in the 20 constituencies ahead of the upcoming political gathering. It is understood that it would be a political bonus if the PTr-MMM-PMSD political agreement is concluded shortly to inject new dynamism into the field. On the other hand, the MMM will convene its central committee this Saturday.
An acceleration of political actions on the ground is expected from this weekend, with the electoral countdown already underway. Navin Ramgoolam, Paul Bérenger, and Xavier-Luc Duval, in case of an agreement, could face the press tomorrow to explain the decisions taken, while the political congress program has already been set with the Rose-Belle/Vieux-Grand’Port (N°11), Mahébourg/Plaine-Magnien (N°12), and Rivière-des-Anguilles/Souillac (N°13) constituencies scheduled for Monday afternoon.
Stay tuned for an electoral campaign that could potentially last until September and October of this year…
Read the original article(French) on Le Mauricien
