La séance du Prime Minister’s Question Time (PMQT), mardi prochain à l’Assemblée nationale, s’annonce particulièrement suivie avec 27 questions adressées au Premier ministre Navin Ramgoolam. Les débats porteront sur la gouvernance financière, la transparence des entreprises publiques, la régulation du cannabis récréatif et le développement institutionnel à Rodrigues.
Le point chaud sera l’affaire Dhyanavartam Ltd, frappée par l’arrestation la semaine dernière de son directeur, Sanjeev Ramdanee, par la Financial Crimes Commission (FCC). Les députés Roshan Jhummun et Nitish Beejan poseront deux questions détaillées sur l’avancement des enquêtes, le nombre de personnes interrogées ou arrêtées, ainsi que les mesures prises pour le recouvrement des prêts octroyés par la State Bank of Mauritius et la Mauritius Investment Corporation Ltd, alors que la société a déjà engagé une procédure de winding-up.
Le secteur aérien sera également scruté. Roshan Jhummun s’intéressera à l’audit externe des ventes d’avions par Air Mauritius Ltd, après l’entrée en voluntary administrationde la compagnie, pour savoir si le rapport est finalisé, comment il sera traité et s’il sera publié.
La régulation des drogues sera abordée par Adrien Duval, qui interrogera le Premier ministre sur la position de la National Agency for Drug Control, et sur l’éventuelle intégration de l’usage récréatif du cannabis dans le mandat du comité technique chargé de la dépénalisation, ou sur les motifs de son exclusion.
Rodrigues constituera un autre axe majeur. Francisco François s’intéressera à l’état des équipements de la MBC-Rodrigues, à l’avancement des amendements à la Rodrigues Regional Assembly Act et à la réforme électorale, ainsi qu’à l’insuffisance des places de stationnement au Plaine Corail Airport. Jacques Édouard abordera les recettes fiscales locales, tandis que Dianette Henriette-Manan interrogera sur le recrutement et la composition de la Rodrigues Police Band.
La sécurité publique sera aussi au centre des débats. Franco Quirin questionnera sur les mesures autour du Metro Express LRT et sur l’enquête concernant l’agression d’une fillette de six ans à Résidence Barkly. Tony Apollon s’intéressera à la sécurité des taxis à l’aéroport SSR, et Ludovic Caserne aux flux des passagers, au border control management systemet à l’introduction du passeport biométrique.
Sur le plan économique et financier, Manoj Seeburn abordera la stabilisation de la roupie, Roshan Jhummun les frais bancaires et garanties de prêts, Raviraj Beechook la mise en application de la Covid-19 Act, et Arvin Babajee les Shipping Agent Licences et les faux permis de conduire.
Enfin, Jacques Édouard questionnera la Constitutional Review Commission sur l’inclusion des Outer Islands et la prise en compte de leurs spécificités.
Mise au point – MAURITIUS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Suite à l’article paru dans l’édition du 30 novembre à la page 11 dans la rubrique “Humeur” de votre estimé journal, je vous mande par Madame la Speaker de l’Assemblée nationale de bien vouloir publier dans la prochaine édition de votre journal la mise au point jointe, ainsi que les Annexes 1, 2 et 3.
ANNEXE 1 – Announcement – Sitting of Friday 28 February 2025
Today I wish to make a very brief announcement with regard to the use of unbecoming or offensive words as per Standing Order 40(2). The words must be expunged everywhere from the Hansard or that they have been withdrawn by the member who made them to preserve our parliamentary tradition and to uphold the dignity of the House.
In view of the fact that at the sitting of 21st February 2025, the Honourable Deputy Prime Minister readily withdrew certain words pronounced by him at the sitting of 7th February 2025, I am now ordering that they be expunged from the official record.
I also expect that these expressions will not be reported anymore elsewhere.
ANNEXE 2 – Extraits du Hansard (pages 70, 72, 74)
MAURITIUS OLYMPIC COMMITTEE – SPECIAL ADVISER, MR M.B. – ALLEGED RECORDING & CANVASSING
(No. B/1067) Mr F. Quirin (Third Member for Beau Bassin & Petite Riviere) asked the Minister of Youth and Sports whether, in regard to the 2025 Elective General Assembly of the Mauritius Olympic Committee , he will state if he has taken cognizance of a recording circulated prior thereto wherein his Special Adviser, Mr M. B., is purportedly heard in a conversation with Mr P. T., President of the Association Mauricienne de Boxe, allegedly canvassing in favour of some candidates and, if so, will he state if an inquiry has been canied out thereinto and, if so, indicate the outcome thereof and the actions, if any, taken in relation thereto or being contemplated, if any.
Mr Nagalingum : Madam Speaker, I wish to inform the House that I have taken cognizance of the recording that was circulated on the eve of the elective general assembly of the Mauritius Olympic Committee. Since this recording has never been authenticated, I do not intend to take any action in relation thereto.
Page 72 – Annexe 2
Madam Speaker : Non, non, non.
(Interruption)
Mr Quirin : … pour faire du lobbying…
The Deputy Prime Minister : … ki to konn…
Madam Speaker : Non, non, non, non! I will not have this. If you are referring to that same incident, the answer was it was not authenticated. So you cannot put any more on that. I do not see how you can pursue.
The Deputy Prime Minister : You can’t !
Madam Speaker : How do you pursue that ? It has not been authenticated. We do not know who it was.
Mr Quirin : We know …
Madam Speaker : You know!
Mr Quirin : He knows as well.
Madam Speaker : I cannot accept that.
Mr A. Duval : How can you not allow it!
(Interruption)
Madam Speaker : I will not allow this.
Mr A. Duval : Misie Moustass li koné! Misie Moustass li koné!
Madam Speaker : I said earlier for the Minister Moustass to answer, so kapav pose en kestion !
A hon. Member : Cover-up! Cover-up!
Madam Speaker : I cannot accept this question.
Mr A. Duval : Cover-up!
Madam Speaker : I cannot accept this question.
I am not talking about Mr A. Duval, I am talking about that I cannot accept your comment.
Mr A. Duval : Madam Speaker, on a point of order to clarify your ruling…
The Deputy Prime Minister : Kitsa!
Page 74 – Annexe 2
Madam Speaker : … it has not been authenticated. It is not the same. It is not the same situation. The other one is under investigation.
So, I will not take this comparison. Now, let us proceed with the other questions. Alors, hon. Fourth Member for Rodrigues, Mr Edouard!
Mr Edouard : Madam Speaker, B/1068.
Mr A. Duval : … at the end of the day…
Mr Mohamed : On a point of order, the hon. Member is making comments from a sitting position. He had the opportunity of trying to open his mouth for valid reasons when he was Speaker but chose to try to avoid the country using taxpayers’ money. In the circumstances, Madam Speaker, may I ask you, humbly, to request this hon. Member to start behaving in a proper manner?
The Deputy Prime Minister : Malelve!
(Interruption)
Mr Mohamed : Shut it!
Madam Speaker : I do not want to keep repeating the same things over and over again…
Mr Mohamed : Pa deklar malin.
Madam Speaker : Please, hon. Minister ! Please !
Mr Mohamed : Yes, I apologise.
Mr Mohamed : Pa deklar malin ou pa osi malin.
Mr A. Duval : Talk, talk de dwa …
Mr Mohamed : Travaille, donne ou en la main.
Mr A. Duval : Mo travay toulezour, mo travay toulezour pou* peye de mwa de merit !*
Mme Speaker
Mr Mohamed : Travailler avec taxpayers’ money !
ANNEXE 3 – Announcement –
Sitting of Tuesday 02 December 2025
Hon Members,
On 29 November 2024, you elected me unanimously as Speaker of the National Assembly. Last Saturday, therefore, I could mark my one full year in this high position.
Last Tuesday, I had to suspend the sitting as the aggressive behaviour of some members had reached its peak, after I had already given two warnings that I would do so if there was no order in the Chamber.
I learnt in the meantime that Hon Adrien Duval accused me of being partial. He did this on TOP FM radio. On his Facebook page, he said I was “trop souvent dépassée par les événements.” Indeed, a journalist of TOP FM asked me for a declaration, which I gave him briefly. I invited him to listen to my announcement on the next sitting.
I accepted this post on the clear understanding that I would be totally independent. I invite Hon Duval to raise his objections here today or publicly. If any member has any substantive objection to my rulings, he may raise it under Standing Order 40(5). He may not like the way that I have adopted for the past year to deal with the chaos in this room. But connecting the comment of a Speaker to the role of a member is not acceptable.
Now Hon Members, I want to refer to the reason which made me suspend the sitting. Everything has to be clear. Everybody has to sit in order and listen. If one member wishes to raise a question, he waits for the time allowed to ask supplementary questions. Any member will by now have had the same amount of time as to how to raise the Hansard and member must wait.
Even for PQs, Ministers are invited to be precise in their answers. If not, an answer which requires a long explanation may be tabled. Then, members will have time to put supplementary questions if need be, or take notice of the reply and, in due course, come back with a new question. Unless there is an urgency, of course.
As for the Private Notice Question (PNQ), it is the time for the Leader of the Opposition who exercises this right according to our Standing Orders and it is a long tradition in our democracy based on the Westminster System. Any other member who wishes to put a supplementary question must wait for him to finish with his supplementary questions before putting a question. Once a member catches my eye, he/she must wait.
Last and not least, I will not tolerate any member who addresses me in a sitting position.
Thank you.
