LE MMM SUR L’ÉCHIQUIER POLITIQUE!

 By Raj Paneken

Since its debacle with its Labour partner in the General Elections, 2014 where they were thrashed by Lalians Lepep, the MMM has been on the downward trend. Many of its stalwarts like Alan Ganoo, Kavi Ramano, Joe Lejongard, Dorine Chukowry, to cite but these few have deserted the Party. Today the MMM is definitely a weakened party which is on an irreversible decline. «La trahison de ce Parti envers Le Remake 2000 de Sir Anerood Jugnauth» has been the albatross of curse hanging around the neck of its leader and the Party. Since their alliance with the Labour Party of Navin Ramgoolam, the situation inside the Party has taken a turn for the worse with a series of defection which is unprecedented. «Le Parti s’est diminué comme une peau de chagrin.» Is it the price that the Party is still paying for its treachery against Sir Anerood and the MSM? Today everybody acknowledges the monumental blunder when they let themselves be ensnared by the glittering offers of Navin Ramgoolam for an alliance with his Party for the December elections 2014. The leader of the Party who was in a hurry to be in the seat of the Prime minister for  five years «sans partage» became an easy prey for Navin who knew his greediness and hurry to be in the driving seat. He dangled the bait of the Primeministership of five years before him. Bérenger took the bait and Remake 2000 «volait en éclats» with the blessing of the Party.

Apparently the alliance PTr/MMM in December, 2014 was based on the copy of the 1995 elections when their alliance won a sweeping victory. They thought that the fusion of two great parties would be more than a match to their opponents and they would repeat the 1995 feat. But it was without reckoning with the growing unpopularity of Navin Ramgoolam which would stare them in the face as the underlying reason for their thumping defeat. The scapegoat for the defeat became automatically Paul Bérenger, the leader of the Party who was in a hurry to be in the seat of the Prime minister. It was then that they realized that it was the growing unpopularity of Navin Ramgoolam which had spelled their downfall. What a discovery! «Comme s’ils venaient de découvrir l’Amérique sur la carte du monde.»

That was a gross miscalculation on their part (MMM/PTr). In 1995 the two great political parties with their leaders having a spotless slate were really unbeatable. But in December, 2014 «Le décor avait considérablement changé.» Their spotless slate had been soiled with treachery and gross mismanagement which were heavily rejected by the electorate. And that was the beginning of their downfall. Today both parties are roaming in the political wilderness. Instead of assuming the entire responsibility for the rout of their party by stepping down, each one had been looking for scapegoat― pa mwa sa, li sa!

The MMM does not deserve what it has become today if Paul Bérenger had not been in a hurry to be in the seat of the PM. But unfortunately he could not brook waiting to share the Priministership with Sir Anerood. He was greedy. He wanted the whole cake for himself―grasping all, losing all, «qu’il a sûrement appris à ses dépens.» Had he been patient and less greedy, his party would have emerged stronger along with the MSM, and today he would have been in the driving seat after Sir Anerood. He would have gone down in history again as Prime minister of the country. What a miss!

Last year the December by-election has shown where the MMM stands today on the political chessboard. The party bagged only 14% of the votes which spoke volumes about its steady decline, «surtout dans la ville de Quatre-Bornes qui a vu la naissance du Parti.» It is obvious that the MMM is politically ill. The December by-election has reduced it to its exact size.

Today Bérenger fills us with pity when we see what his party and himself have become. The once brilliant orator in Parliament has become a mere spectator. His role has been curtailed to ABC.