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66th Year -- No. 3657 Friday, March 5, 2021 www.mauritiustimes.com facebook.com/mauritius.times 18 Pages - ePaper MAURITIUS TIMES l A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit. - John Maxwell Interview: Rama Sithanen - Economist & Former MOF “The Bérenger-Duval coalition risks transforming an already divided country into a cleaved and a polarised one between two distinct groups competing for political power” * See Pages 7-8-9 Shedding the Dead Sea mentality Need to remain focused There was a time in this country when the focus was not so We owe it to the young and future generations to clear the much on power per se as on what positive changes that appalling mess and trigger the sea change necessary to power could bring about for the betterment of the citizenry establish a significantly better order Dr R Neerunjun Gopee * See Page 3 By Mrinal Roy * See Page 3 By Hanna Zagefka, Vaccine nationalism will block our Professor of Social Psychology, path out of the pandemic - so how Royal Holloway * See Page 2 do we resist our tribal instinct? Mauritius Times Friday, March 5, 2021 www.mauritiustimes.com Edit Page facebook.com/mauritius.times 2 The Political Coldrum: More Muddling The Conversation Vaccine nationalism will block our t is widely known that the leader of the him to establish his credentials as a potential MMM, Paul Berenger, has the knack to com- leader of the LP. path out of the pandemic – so how Imit political blunders - and that is what has The question now is: What happens next? kept him away from Government House, as For one, the focus will in the weeks ahead shift Prime Minister, either on the electoral strength of to the political battles in view of the forthcoming do we resist our tribal instinct? his party or as major partner in alliance with other municipal elections, which will serve as a test of parties whenever the political circumstances in the ‘rapport de forces’ on the political spectrum Governments are naturally under pressure to focus on national the country were clearly in favour of the MMM – of the different mainstream parties as well as rollouts. But the truth is none of us is safe until we're all safe and much less for communal reasons as it is those that are likely join the political fray soon – conveniently surmised. His latest move which from so-called civic groupings to those of the excluded Navin Ramgoolam from a meeting of lawyer-politicians. In this week’s interview, Rama the ‘L’Entente’ in a bid to force the Labour Party’s Sithanen, former Finance minister, talks about leader to renege on his ambition to stand as the the positive consequence of the implosion of the prime ministerial candidate of the erstwhile ‘L’Entente’ in favour of the ruling party. ‘The PM ‘L’Entente PTr-MMM-PMSD-Reform Party’, es- must be laughing all the way in the face of this pecially the manner in which he proceeded disgraceful decomposition of the Opposition. about it, the language verging on arrogance and The ‘Entente’ was slated to win handsomely the the timing, represents the summum in terms of municipal elections. Now the game has changed political ineptitude. considerably. Except probably for Beau Bassin The ouster of the LP from the ‘L’Entente’, lea- and Rose Hill where socio-demographics will ding to the resignations of Arvin Boolell and clearly give an advantage to the MMM-PMSD Shakeel Mohamed as Leader of Opposition and alliance, all the other municipalities are up for Opposition Whip respectively, has not only taken grab especially if there is a fourth party that tries the wind out of the sails of the Opposition, it has to disrupt the legacy formations (…). Instead of a led to its implosion. Much to the pleasure of the concerted attack against the Government, the MSM leader. Also a welcome relief, for at least Opposition parties will be dispersed and there some time, from the battering that his govern- will be a division of votes that will help the MSM. ment has been facing in the wake of the judicial It could win with only 30% of the votes in many Clinicians prepare to give vaccinations in Salisbury Cathedral. EPA/Neil Hall enquiry into the murder of the MSM activist wards in a highly fragmented contest.’ Soopramanien Kistnen, along with suspicions What happens after the municipal elections ost nations are currently cated that they would donate to help around other alleged suicides and public outcry and the next general elections is a long shot, and focusing their efforts to other British people, whereas less about the questionable manner in which public it’s likely to give rise to different permutations on Mdefeat the pandemic within than 40% indicated that they would procurements for medical supplies and equip- the political spectrum. But the most concerning their own borders, under pressure to donate to help people in other coun- ment were done last year. issue of bigger significance is what becomes of help their citizens first. But this is a tries. As could be expected, in the fallout of the the Labour Party? Because it now faces two global problem and governments If governments are to start coo- MMM leader’s blunder, Navin Ramgoolam has major competitors: MSM and the MMM-PMSD need to work together to eradicate perating more internationally, it is leveraged the opposition to his leadership of the coalition. The current structure and dynamics of COVID. To avoid hardening attitudes essential to shift public opinion away LP by both the MMM and the PMSD to whip up the party is still rooted in its old mode of func- against helping other countries, go- from such in-group favouring biases. a wave of sympathy in his favour amongst tioning, and despite talk of reform this has really vernments need to change how they But the survival of democratic go- Labourites. The exact opposite of what was never happened. To quote Rama Sithanen talk about the pandemic. They must vernments depends on their popula- sought to be achieved by Paul Berenger has again, ‘Reform is both feasible and desirable if resist the urge to blame other coun- rity with the electorate. So it is vital taken place: Navin Ramgoolam’s leadership and the Party does its soul searching in a dispas- tries. The emphasis must now be on for decision makers to draw on ap- grip on the LP has not only been consolidated, sionate, composed and calm manner.’This the need for a global response. proaches that can counteract our but it has also succeeded to kill off - at least up implies building ‘an appealing leadership, a We are psychologically driven to human impulse for tribalism, and to the next general elections - any opposition diverse and competent team comprising both help people from our own tribe, or in- build public support for sharing within the Labour Party to his leadership of the young and wise persons, an ambitious and rea- group, over members of out-groups. resources across borders. Party. Navin Ramgoolam will surely, thanks to lizable programme with new ideas and policies, This is what we are now witnessing Hoarding vaccines is, ultimately, Paul Berenger, remain the uncontested leader of a modern way of doing politics and a broad coali- in the allocation of resources to fight self-defeating. Vaccinating the entire the LP for a good number of years, and he tion of people to become the historical broad COVID. Around the world, govern- population of one country is not should also, like Pravind Jugnauth, be thanking church and be electable again’ so as ‘ to become ments are trying to vaccinate their going to guarantee lasting protection the MMM leader for this dramatic change in his an attractive, effective and electable alternative own populations first. There is, so if the virus is allowed to run rampant political fortunes. All those who had been nur- to the MSM and the MMM-PMSD coalition.’ far, little talk of helping other coun- in other parts of the world, mutating sing the ambition to take over from Ramgoolam, There is no other way in which LP can regain tries. into potentially vaccine-resistant including Arvind Boolell, have in the process its role as a ‘locomotive’ driving the political direc- My research involving over 2,000 variants. been weakened, the more so in the case of the tion in the country. Post the municipal elections, Britons suggests that the UK popula- latter following his resignation as Leader of the this is the challenge LP must address. But the desire to protect the in- Opposition – which platform would have allowed tion supports their government’s group is deep seated. When things prioritisation of domestic vaccina- go wrong, we find it much easier to tion. Most people surveyed support- blame others than look inwards. Mauritius Times ed investment in measures that More than half of our research par- Founder/Editor: Beekrumsing Ramlallah - Aug 1954-Sept 2000 would benefit British (in-group) peo- ticipants blamed other countries – Editor-in-chief: M. Ramlallah / Senior Editor: Dr RN Gopee ple over offering financial aid to other not Britain – for the ongoing pan- countries in the EU or sub-Saharan This epaper has been produced with the assistance of demic. Africa. Doojesh Ramlallah, Sultana Kurmally and Kersley Ramsamy Pearl House 4th Floor Room 406 - Sir Virgil Naz Street, Port Louis When asked whether they would Hanna Zagefka, Professor of Social Tel: 5-29 29301 Tel/Fax: 212 1313 donate money to help others who Psychology, Royal Holloway are struggling due to the pandemic, [email protected] www.mauritiustimes.com facebook.com/mauritius.times over 60% of British participants indi- * Cont.