Kifer Nuvo Loto PM Pe Fer Otan Polemik

Ler nun tieke nun gayn konfirmasion ki pri loto PM fek aste li reprezant un pli ti par GDP ki ban avan. 

Ramgoolam Appoints Toxic Bean-Counter As BoM Governor

It came as a shock to people who had voted for the Alliance of Change as they haven't forgotten how Rama Sithanen had badly messed up their livelihoods during his last stint as Minister of Finance between 2005 and 2010 with an extreme version of trickle-down economics. It was so bad that he could not be given a ticket – a first for an outgoing FM – in GE2010 and didn't take the risk of running as an independent candidate. Of course before that the then PM had to give a second Presidential term to SAJ and help get PJ elected in the 2009 by-election to prove his goodwill before sealing an alliance with the MSM so as to avoid electoral mayhem. He was also not elected in GE2014 and GE2019 and that too in two different constituencies while for GE2024 the risk was too great for Ramgoolam to give him a chance to return to parliament.

The 70-year-old Sithanen has also made a number of disturbing statements. Here's one.

And here's some more.

How Mature Are Mauritian Voters?

Quite mature and increasingly so. We just need to look at the calm environment in which our elections take place. Plus voters have proceeded with five changes of government (see 1) with four of these happening in the past twenty-three years. These were made a lot easier by our FPTP system which produced clear winners immediately in ten out of eleven general elections – it took a tiny bit more time to form a government in 1976. And given how we massively rejected the wicked plan of a scheming trio in December 2014 it is natural that proposed changes to our electoral system be put to us in a referendum and not decided in parliament as it smacks of a conflict of interest. Especially when they will seriously blunt a weapon we've used to keep several politicians out of our National Assembly including the five who have been our PMs. And open the door for all kinds of additional abuse in these times of passport sale and ministerial eye-test.

Will We Have A New PM Before We Vote Again?

SAJ said he won't be able to complete a full term and that his son would take over. How would this happen? A bit like before Berenger started his 2-year stint in 2003? Can SAJ stay in Parliament? If he stays how does the President decide that he is no longer the one to command a majority but his son is?

Of course the massive and growing GDP shortfall will be unforgiving.

Meet Justin, Canada's New Prime Minister

Navin Ramgoolam Joins Select Club

As the third of our Prime Ministers to also cumulate the Finance portfolio. Of course the first and most famous member of this very exclusive group is SSR who happened to be our FM at the most famous time in our history.

It's a real pity that Navin Ramgoolam did not take over that ministry back in 2005 as I had suggested when it was already kind of obvious to the trained ear that a toxic politician was doing his level best to send the country to the dogs. Especially when you consider that Mauritius not only had the best growth rates of the past twenty years during the first mandate of Ramgoolam II but the cake-cutting was also a lot more compatible with that of an avowed socialist. But it's true that PMs can sometimes, but not always, get busy. Still, he could have entrusted the ministry to a Rs5 coin and the outcomes would have been a lot better. But let's not cry over a spilled decade. And instead watch how he plays the trump card he's been dealt.

Shouldn't We Create a Fiscal Policy Committee?

Given how pervasive any changes to tax laws are. I mean we've seen what the flat tax of two university buddies have done to our economy and to the lives of our people. We've also seen how the same toxic bean-counting architects of probably the darkest pages of our economic history -- right up there with slavery -- have ended the part they played in it: the PM didn't exactly give them a standing o.

So, we could set up a committee with two persons on it: the Minister of Finance and the Governor of the Central Bank. Each one would have one vote. In case of a tie the PM can cast a vote. What better opportunity to allow avowed Socialists to show their real stripes?

We could but we shouldn't. We already have way too many institutions doing overlapping work. What we need though is the institutional capacity to analyze proposed policies in a totally independent and most rigorous way: the PPO.

Iron Lady Dead At 87

Margaret Thatcher was the longest serving British PM. She was for deregulation, weak trade unions and privatisation of state-owned enterprises. The former PM also waged war against Argentina to recapture Islas Malvinas. Here she is talking about socialism at the end of her 11-year Prime Ministership. 

And here is Meryl Streep winning another Oscar for her extraordinary portrayal of the Iron Lady.

Things Getting Ugly Atop Republic

Speaking after the PM at the Hindu House this evening the President criticised the authorities namely for turning a blind eye to the alarming increase in substance abuse. He also stressed the important point that the struggle for independence was not the work of one man. An allusion no doubt to the spin that the current PM has been putting for a good many years on this and other events that have marked the history of our young country.

Prompted for comments afterwards, Navin Ramgoolam blamed senility for the President's speech and challenged him to come back into the political arena. Chances are these two personalities will not meet on Thursday...

Who's Been Our Best PM?

SSR, SAJ, NR or PB?

Get A Million-Rupee-Per-Year Job Without An Interview

If you have a Post Doctoral qualification and a committee of public servants deems you have what the Ministry of Finance needs. I think the Prime Minister should take a little pause in his ongoing political romance with the MMM and put, at least, his foot down to end this farce.

Hey, someone may have great qualifications but may not have the soft skills needed to deliver. And this scheme should be open to citizens of Mauritius only: we already have a very serious brain drain problem here and many young professionals want to leave because of a disease called bean-counting. Besides who wants to take the risk of hiring someone with impeccable qualifications like Hannibal Lecter but whose special dietary preferences would not always stay unmet?

Last Prime Ministerial Debate Starts in One Hour

For the UK elections of May 6. Gordon Brown will be facing off the two other leaders who want his job on the economy. That should be interesting given the beating the British economy has taken with the financial crisis.

Why can't the MBC arrange for a debate between Ramgoolam and Berenger so that they come and explain to us what they want to do with our economy?

Are you sure we're in 2010?

Kee Chong Disgusted At How Sithanen Has Been Treated

That's how he ended his short interview with Deepa Bhookun this morning. He also reminded Rama that there are other things in life that one can do and to take some time to think things over.

I am however having a hard time understanding why he thinks Sithanen's has been treated in a inhumane fashion. The way many people look at it is Rama screwed up big time as Minister of Finance and Ramgoolam found -- rather belatedly I must say -- someone to replace him.

I also wonder what Kee Chong thought of Rama's second-guessing the Prime Minister's prerogatives in public last Sunday.

Ramgoolam To Cross Bridge Without Sithanen

Guess he's not too happy with the economic performance of the last 5 years. And he has contracted an alliance with the MSM so as not to take unnecessary risks. Indeed, if things were as rosy as the few beneficiaries of crony capitalism would have us believe then Navin would have kept the bean-counter-in-chief, right? That's something we had decoded back in September.

He must also have gotten quite tired of Rama second-guessing his prerogatives every now and then.

Kozelidir's Simple Guide To Coping With The PM's Prerogatives

1. It is the Prime Minister who appoints the Governor of the Central Bank. If you don't like the person he has nominated you shouldn't cry for a whole week and/or threaten to resign. Likewise please don't use provisions of the Bank of Mauritius Act to obstruct the proper functioning of such a vital institution.

2. It is the Prime Minister who appoints Ministers. Even if you try little tricks to put some pressure on him.

Should I now come up with a simple guide to decoding the PM's not-so subtle messages?

Let the People Speak

Ramgoolam should organise a referendum about whether abortion should be legalised given that he's sticking to his policy of never having any strong opinions about anything except maybe that he should be Prime Minister forever. That's probably about the only way people might miss him if he loses power or his seat in the next general elections.

How to Write to Our PM

First of all don't cc to anybody else. Because as he told you a few times already he's not going to read stuff that has been copied to other people. Second, be brief: Prime Ministers are usually, but not always, busy people. Third, don't mention that you intend going on a hunger strike because that would make him go absolutely ballistic. But if you can't resist squeezing that in make sure to add a paragraph praising his dad for something the latter did or didn't do. The other thing to... 

Tell you what. Got to run right now. So I think it's easier for you to have a model of how to write to everybody's favourite uncle. Just click on the image below. See ya!