Rédaction Africa Links 24 with lemauricien
Published on 2024-02-26 06:00:15
Our interviewee this Sunday is Patrick Assirvaden, president of the PTr, whom we met yesterday as part of the Labour’s 88th anniversary celebrated on February 23. Without beating around the bush, he talks about the struggle of the Reds and especially about the upcoming general elections. He dismisses the by-elections as a bluff, predicting the general elections to be held in a maximum of six months. Without mincing words, he discusses the sacrifices that must be made among the parties in the alliance, whose goal is to rid the country of Pravind Jugnauth’s MSM.
Last Friday, the Labour Party celebrated its 88th anniversary. As the president of the party, what message do you send to your supporters on this occasion?
88 years ago, on February 23, 1936, the PTr was founded with the mission of saving workers crushed by an oppressive system. 88 years later, we have left our mark on the history of the country. The PTr has contributed to many significant developments. And 88 years later, the struggle still continues. It may have a different focus now, with new themes and challenges, but the fight remains relevant. In 2024, our role is to liberate the country from those who believe they own Mauritius. While Cyclone Eleanor may have affected our anniversary celebrations, not much was planned. Does this honor the party founded by Maurice Curé and other leaders? How do you explain this lack of enthusiasm, especially in an election year? Is it a financial or strategic issue?
It is not a financial issue. Of course, financial constraints exist, especially as all our bank accounts are frozen by the MSM regime. We had planned several events, including a gathering for International Women’s Day in Port Louis yesterday. We have scheduled the May 1st rally in Port Louis and have been organizing. We have held a series of congresses and meetings in various regions for some time now. It was intentional to keep things simple and mark the occasion with our traditional wreath-laying ceremony. However, there is currently a concentration of the dengue epidemic in Port Louis. We have to consider the interests and safety of all Mauritians. It is not about playing politics on corpses or just marking a point with drums. The PTr, MMM, and PMSD have nothing left to prove. We need to structure ourselves, prepare our electoral program in due time. It was planned, but the cyclone disrupted our plans. In case of any weather or force majeure, the first reaction is to cancel the event, either for the PTr or the PTr-MMM-PMSD alliance?
It is too easy to say that after the cyclone did not cause major damage. In our position, you would have reacted the same way. Precautions must be taken to avoid risks. The government, through the Ministry of Education, closed schools and the children stayed home for three days while the weather was fine. The government decided to give a holiday to the population even though things were not ideal. We rely on the weather forecast and, as responsible leaders, it is our duty to prioritize safety. There will be other opportunities for future events. March 12 is approaching, and then May 1st. It’s not as if the PTr-MMM-PMSD alliance has to prove anything by organizing events just to score points… How is the opposition alliance faring?
The alliance is strong. The three leaders get along very well. We are making progress with three mature leaders who have a political background. Two former prime ministers, a former deputy prime minister, minister of finance… We also have a team of lieutenants around them who are demanding regarding the electoral program we will present, our firm commitments to deep reform in the country, the changes we want to bring about, the ruptures… The alliance is doing well, whether among the leaders, lieutenants, or the base. We have organized several events together, and they have been successful. How does the PTr-MMM-PMSD alliance manage the expectations and interests of each party within the alliance? Is it always a smooth ride, because while there is mutual respect, there doesn’t seem to be this unity that will rally the majority of Mauritians behind you?
I reiterate that Ramgoolam-Bérenger-Duval bear heavy responsibilities. As do the lieutenants of these parties. Our goal is to remove this country from the MSM. What the MSM has been doing to this country in recent years has worsened in the past 10 years. Neither the PTr, nor the MMM, nor the PMSD can be selfish in this alliance. Because the stakes are too high. Against us, there is money politics, nepotism, the exploitation of institutions. There is a prime minister fighting for the survival of his empire. We cannot be selfish. That is why sacrifices will have to be made on both sides. For the country. The alliance is doing well, and we have a great team working on the government program under Xavier Duval’s leadership. We have a campaign team from the PTr, MMM, and PMSD that is active and coordinating things. We are heading straight for the general elections. There will be a stop, and that stop will be on May 1st. For me, May 1st will be a primary as seen abroad. After the primary, those who are on the fence — the observers, the supporters, the politicians — will rally behind the locomotive.
Do you think the country and the population are ready for general elections? Why?
Long overdue. The population is fed up. From the market to supermarkets, from farms to industries, from homes to offices, everyone is fed up. Since independence, we have a record number of young people emigrating to Canada and Australia. There is a brain drain of all our intellectuals, people we need in all sectors, leaving. Today, parents lament that they have to be on good terms with certain individuals or wear a specific color to help their children secure a job, be it at Air Mauritius or another institution. Today, a pound of chili costs Rs 800! What have we done to achieve our food self-sufficiency? Today, through our education system, 7,000-8,000 children end up on the streets for not obtaining 5 Credits in the SC… With all this, is the population not ready for the general elections? These are just a few examples. More recently, the Hurdoyal affair. Name a country where the Prime Minister and his Minister of Agro-Industry sign a pact to keep silent? Not even Putin acts like that. Let’s stick to the elections. The country, the population are ready. But is your alliance ready for these elections? Whether they are partial or general?
We are ready. We are used to saying that when arranging a marriage, the latent marriage is upright. You can’t have a latent marriage when you don’t know the wedding date. But we have a team working on our program. We have a team reviewing the candidate list. We have a team preparing the logistical aspects on the ground. I won’t reveal everything, but of course, we are ready. We present ourselves as the alternative and the change to Pravind Jugnauth. If we say that, it is because Navin Ramgoolam needs to start from now, to…
Read the original article(French) on Le Mauricien
