Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Sarah Jane Lebrasse
Published on 2024-02-19 03:00:52
At the beginning of the past week, there were significant changes in the political landscape, challenging the schedule of Lakwizinn at the Prime Minister’s Office in view of the upcoming general elections. “Samem ki apel Operasion Gat Lasos,” is the message from the Sun Trust headquarters. First and foremost, the resignation of the National Assembly of Vikram Hurdoyal, Minister of Agro-Industry, revoked on a Sunday evening without any publicly announced reason, will deprive the Prime Minister and Leader of the House, Pravind Jugnauth, of the power of his fatal weapon under section 57 (1) of the Constitution, stating that “the President, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, may at any time prorogue or dissolve Parliament.” This resignation, submitted to the Speaker’s Office around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 13, imposes significant constraints on the Chief Executive regarding the dissolution of the National Assembly. While section 57 (2) of the Constitution, imposing that “Parliament, unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for 5 years from the date of the first sitting of the Assembly after any general election and shall then stand dissolved,” is rendered obsolete in this circumstance.
In this new political configuration, initial conjectures suggest that caution will be required regarding the magic date of August 10 or around that time for this crucial step leading to the next general elections. However, in the meantime, the political landscape will have seen two key events, namely the political gatherings of May 1 for Labor Day, and the advanced presentation of the fifth and final budget by the Grand Argentier, Renganaden Padayachy. Starting from February 13, the date on which the resignation letter of Deputy Hurdoyal was submitted, imposing, following the provisions of the Constitution, a by-election in Montagne-Blanche/Grande-Rivière-Sud-Est (No. 10) within a maximum period of 240 days – resulting from the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act – defines a series of binding deadlines, namely May 13, 2024: the ultimate date for the publication of the Writ for the by-election to No. 10. In this regard, the question arises as to whether the leader of the MSM will play this electoral card with diminished interest, inasmuch as the option of this partial election is a political fiction, before or after the announced gatherings in Port Louis for the PTr-MMM-PMSD opposition or in Vacoas for the alliance led by the MSM.
This initial step has only symbolic value constitutionally speaking. June 12, 2024: this date has a double importance, as it is the deadline for the Nomination Day for the by-election in No.10 or the earliest date, if the Prime Minister decides to follow in the footsteps of his British counterpart, Rishi Sunak, by holding a by-election, even on the eve of the general elections. However, the postponement of the municipal elections in Mauritius last year is a clear reminder that “bizin aret reve kamarad”. Moreso, during the period leading up to June 12, the government of Pravind Jugnauth will have played its trump card in the form of the last budget of the 7th National Assembly, including an announcement regarding the Basic Retirement Pension at Rs 15,500, if not more, indications regarding the government’s intentions for the next report of the Pay Research Bureau (PRB) in favor of civil servants and employees of para-state bodies.
August 10, 2024: This is presented in some circles as the date for the dissolution of the National Assembly in order to render the holding of the by-election to No. 10 following the resignation of Vikram Hurdoyal obsolete, while the 240-day limit will expire the week ending October 11. This date of August 10 or around it for the dissolution of the National Assembly is in line with the publication of the electoral registers for the 20 constituencies of Mauritius and Rodrigues. With the Constitution providing that the recommendations of the Electoral Boundaries Commission come into force upon the dissolution of the National Assembly, the Electoral Commission will have to have the new electoral lists by August 15. During this last period, the electoral mood in the country will have reached a new level, with candidates already designated and the campaign in full swing in the 20 constituencies and in Rodrigues and Agalega, except for the Chagos, where the designated voters are attached to the Grande-Rivière-Nord-Ouest/Port-Louis West constituency (No. 1). With a hypothetical dissolution of the National Assembly on August 10, the elections, with most likely the vote count taking place as soon as the polling stations close, the limits should be established as follows at the end of section 41 of the Representation of the People Act, either at the earliest by September 9 or by the latest by January 7, 2025. But there are slim possibilities that these general elections could be organized while Mauritius will be in pilgrimage for its apostle Jacques Désiré Laval.
However, it is undeniable that with a dissolution on August 10, the maximum deadline for the publication of the Writs of Elections will expire on October 9 and the Nomination Day on Friday, November 8. Nonetheless, commenting on these different dates, Ashok Subron, of Rezistans & Alternativ, is calling on the Electoral Commissioner for clarifications. “Mo pe demann ki Komiser Eletoral eklersi bann paramet azanda electoral selon dispozision lalwa”, he expresses to Week-End. Thus, these imperative demands placed on Lakwizinn at the Prime Minister’s Office stem from the setback of the revocation of Vikram Hurdoyal as minister and the latter repaying the favor to the Prime Minister. In the immediate sense, the updating of the schedule of Pravind Jugnauth’s inaugurations is propelled to the forefront, with directives issued to municipalities and other local authorities to multiply as much as possible the inauguration ceremonies and laying of foundation stones.
Upon his return to the country after the African Union summit last weekend in Addis Ababa, the Prime Minister will attend the inauguration of the suspension bridge, spanning the gorges of Grande-Rivière-Nord-Ouest and connecting Chebel to Sorèze on the highway, this Thursday. This ceremony, which promises to be grandiose with a show commissioned to Impact Production, is announced for this Thursday. On Saturday the 24th, International Women’s Day will be celebrated in advance due to the Maha Shivaratree festival on Friday, March 8. A platform offered to the government to address 50% of the electorate. Still on a Thursday, the 29th, the Prime Minister will travel to Agalega for the double inauguration of the runway and the jetty, with a videoconference link with New Delhi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will intervene live on the occasion. Afterwards, the religious time will come with prayer sessions at Ganga Talao as part of the Maha Shivaratree pilgrimage before the national celebrations on the 12th of March at Champ-de-Mars, likely in the presence of the President of India, Dropadi Mourmou. At this stage, an official announcement in Port Louis and New Delhi is expected for confirmation.
It is undeniable that the list of honorees of March 12 will be scrutinized against the backdrop of the general elections. As a result, members of the government’s front bench, including Steven Obeegadoo, Renganaden Padayachy, Joe Lesjongard, and Anwar Husnoo, could be part of it, in addition to representatives of sociocultural societies and athletes. After the celebrations of the national holiday, the relay will be taken over by the Minister of Finance with the preparations for the 2024-25 budget. Indeed, the second half of March can be dedicated to the grand consultation of pre-budgetary consultations. Social partners, from unions to employers’ organizations to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), have until March 15 to submit budget memoranda.
At least until the first ten days of April, the campaign for political mobilization on the ground in view of the May 1st rallies will be carried out quietly due to Lent for Easter on March 31 and Ramadan with Eid-ul-Fitr on April 11. And from mid-April onwards, the tone will rise, culminating in the lead-up to the general elections.
Read the original article(French) on Le Mauricien
