No Future

Something is terribly rotten in the state of Mauritius. Even more than the usual decay we have been accustomed to. Previous electoral bouts have often been decided on the lesser of evils. There have been two guttural vociferations after 1968; one in 1982 and the other one in 1995. Both were clear rejections of those in power. Although illusory, they gave the people hope that there would be some form of change. Both ended prematurely. It is now said that a lack of maturity lead to their undoing.
In 2014, cynicism has reached new heights. There is now no act that is needed, no false pretense to affirm what we knew all along; they want power at any price. Our politicians are all scorn in this petty political year as they sell us the idea that they are here for the greater good. The early retirements of some lackeys sounded more sincere. Mauritians cannot differentiate one evil from another. Friends of yesterdays have become foes today and vice versa. Our politicians have killed the very idea of hope.
Ramgoolam wants a semi-presidential system. One that gives him a more strategic outlook of the country’s affairs and hence grant him the ability to set grand changes in motion. It is an understandable desire. But is it the most pressing concern at the moment? No, systems can always be improved but the present one has guaranteed us stability. There are other priorities that demand urgent attention. Inequality is on the rise, the middle class is considerably weakened, political financing is bafflingly shady and we are to find solace in a power sharing formula between a Chairman and a CEO. The former will craft the higher level matters and the CEO shall be at the helm of the day-to-day affairs.
This country’s political class has known lows. The hate spewed in the pre-independence years, the Amsterdam blot, the perpetuation of dynasties in the most unashamed of ways, the meteoric enrichment of too many and the use of religion as political bait. The intense bed swapping of the last years is now part of this list of seemingly never-ending ignominies.
Unless you are angling for a post or a ticket, there is not much to expect. We are several weeks in a hit and run campaign and there is nothing that gets our hopes up. The haste in calling voters for a consultation tells us what we need to know. This is a summon for lambs to get sacrificed. Most factions have yet to offer anything concrete that heralds better days for Mauritius. Too many yes-men and women are on board with the sole agenda of echoing their masters’ voices.  
The recipe for disaster is set.