SLO Should Immediately Start Working on Referendum Legislation

So that when the Prime Minister is ready to ask the intelligent people of Mauritius what she thinks of changes to the electoral system and to our constitutional set up he will get a clear and wise answer.

So yeah, Ramgoolam gets another big opportunity for us to remember him when he's gone.

Berenger Heckled During Politburo Meeting

Seeneevassen Was Fierce Opponent of PR

About sixty years ago -- according to Chit Dhukira's Experiments in Democracy -- the Labour Party, Sookdeo Bissoondoyal and other progressive individuals were dead against proportional presentation as proposed by the Secretary of State for the colonies. There was even a "Down with PR" campaign in the Mauritius Times. And the main speaker of the LP inside and outside of the legislature was none other than Renganaden Seeneevassen. The executive committee of Labour even expelled one Philippe Rozemont -- Guy's brother -- after he voted for PR. Isn't that interesting?

It gets even better when you learn that there was a by-election in 1956 after Guy Rozemont passed away and the campaign revolved around PR. Which the Labour Party won.

Now, isn't that funny that these days the current leader of the LP is promoting PR? Still believing he is a Labourite or a socialist?

815 Million Voters To Elect Indian Government

That's 10 crores more voters – 1 crore is 10 million – than five years ago. And about half a billion more than the 1977 elections. You read it correctly: 500,000,000. But they are keeping the same number of MPs: five hundred and forty something. Mauritius, please take note. The voting started yesterday and will proceed in nine phases in the 930,000 polling stations essentially for logistics and security reasons. The biggest crowds will be on April 17 and 24 when some 238 constituencies will be contested.

The elections will cost about MRU18 billion while parties are expected to spend MRU150 billion. Some polls are predicting one of the biggest setbacks for Congress. While other analysts are only trying to figure out by how much Modi will win.

Results are on May 16.