Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Johanne Prosper
Published on 2024-04-10 07:30:02
Regardless of the final negotiations that may bring the PTr/MMM/PMSD alliance to life, the Lakwizinn of the Prime Minister’s Office is fine-tuning the preliminary round ahead of the Labour Day celebrations on May 1st. With the draw for the Question Time next Tuesday in the National Assembly, Prime Minister and Leader of the House, Pravind Jugnauth, finds himself in a position to go all out against the leader of the Labour Party, Navin Ramgoolam. The interpellation filed by the Deputy Chief Whip, Joanne Tour, focused on the secrets of the Riverwalk safes with Navin Ramgoolam’s Rs 220 million, is almost in pole position for the Prime Minister’s Question Time. Meanwhile, the leaders of the opposition alliance, namely the Labour Party, MMM, and PMSD, will have had the opportunity to iron out the final details leading to the realization of this agreement. However, the first collateral victims have already emerged, with Kushal Lobine and Richard Duval excluded from the list of potential candidates for the PMSD nominations.
The latest information obtained by Le-Mauricien from well-informed sources indicates that the Top Chefs of Lakwizinn from the PMO are preparing to provide Pravind Jugnauth with heavy artillery against Navin Ramgoolam for the PMQT session. The first interpellation, registered in the name of Reza Uteem, concerns a senior official of the Mauritius Ports Authority. Without a doubt, this Parliamentary Question must be swiftly dealt with to make way for the second one from Joanne Tour.
This PQ revolves around the case of the Riverwalk safes with the Rs 220 million seized during a search at the residence of the former Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party, Navin Ramgoolam. In government circles, this potential intervention by Pravind Jugnauth in the chamber will serve as a rallying cry for the troops of the MSM and its allies for the Labour Day political gathering on May 1st, setting the stage for the upcoming general election campaign.
However, as of yesterday afternoon, in well-informed government circles, there was no confirmation whether the leader of the MSM would carry out his various threats on the political stage regarding the origins of these Rs 220 million in Navin Ramgoolam’s safes. Thus, until midday next Tuesday, he will keep his supporters and especially his opponents on the political chessboard on edge.
Meanwhile, the meeting between the leaders of the PTr, MMM, and PMSD at Riverwalk last Monday has resulted in a calm regarding the political frictions that emerged during the negotiations for the electoral deal between the three parties. Since yesterday, the feeling is that an agreement could be reached by Friday with just a few final details to iron out. These exchanges have allowed Paul Bérenger and Xavier-Luc Duval to ease tensions that had arisen between the MMM and the PMSD. The three partners have agreed on the issue of ticket distribution and settled on the formula of 35/17/8.
Since Monday afternoon, intense discussions have been taking place within the PTr, MMM, and PMSD regarding the placement of candidates who will be fielded in the upcoming general elections. The points to be resolved concern the constituencies of Mahébourg/Plaine-Magnien (No 12), Rivière-des-Anguilles/Souillac (No 13), Savanne/Rivière-Noire (No 14), La-Caverne/Phoenix (No 15), and Stanley/Rose-Hill (No 19), among others.
Furthermore, indications suggest that Xavier-Luc Duval may have applied the guillotine to two Sitting MPs of the PMSD, Kushal Lobine and Richard Duval. These two parliamentarians are no longer part of XLD’s plans for the blue nominations. According to information regarding this decision by the leader of the PMSD, he reproaches the MPs for reducing the party’s weight in the wake of the Political Bargaining with Navin Ramgoolam and Paul Bérenger. The two members of the National Assembly had taken a stand against Xavier-Luc Duval’s withdrawal from the negotiations for the agreement with the PTr and the MMM, indicating that they would not endorse negotiations with the Mouvement Socialiste Militant (MSM) in the current situation and that a political direction of the PMSD could see them leaving the party to join the PTR-MMM alliance.
The leader of the PMSD may have felt that such political postures could not be adopted from the party’s perspective, believing that in a potential government, he could face difficulties with critical issues with MPs who could change allegiance at any moment.
In well-informed circles involved in the ongoing negotiations, the remaining details to be settled are not seen as insurmountable, and there is optimism that an agreement satisfactory to all parties could be reached by the end of the week, with the official announcement expected during the weekend.
The pending placements now include No 12, where the PTr, with two nominations out of the three tickets at stake, is considering fielding Adrien Duval’s son, moving from Curepipe/Midlands (No 17) to this Southeastern constituency, No 14; a decision on a ticket for the PMSD is still pending, with the blues also eyeing a nomination at No 19. There is also uncertainty regarding the MMM’s ticket at No 15, where the PMSD may replace Lobine or give way to the PTr, who may be absent at No 19, with No 20 having all three MMM MPs in the race.
Adrien Duval’s name is also mentioned in Port Louis-North/Montagne-Longue (No 5), being replaced at No 17 by Malini Sewocksingh, who will make a comeback. Other disputes that loomed over discussions between Ramgoolam, Bérenger, and Duval, such as the ticket at No 3 (Port-Louis Maritime/Port-Louis-East), have reportedly been resolved according to informed sources.
Contacts between the three leaders and their respective collaborators to finalize the political deal have intensified since Tuesday, with the aim of reaching an agreement as soon as possible, unless there are other surprises and bargaining.
If a consensus is reached, the official announcement of the PTr-MMM-PMSD alliance is expected during the weekend, as indicated by the optimists. Despite the difficulties and tensions that have arisen in recent weeks, the leaders believe that the dynamism will quickly translate on the ground, with supporters riding the wave of this alliance’s success, despite the compromises.
Nevertheless, all eyes will also be on Kushal Lobine and Richard Duval when Parliament convenes next Tuesday. Navin Ramgoolam, Paul Bérenger, and Xavier-Luc Duval had planned to meet by tomorrow to finalize the formula. The political situation will continue to unfold…
Read the original article(French) on Le Mauricien
