Is the prime minister losing his mojo? These past few weeks have marked a distinct downturn in Navin Ramgoolam’s fortunes and I’m not just talking about government’s defeat in the municipal elections.

Although the significance of this event, especially for someone who hadn’t lost an electoral joust since 2003 shouldn’t be understated, his current state of embattlement is due to a confl uence of factors, to all the scandals finally coming home to roost. Frustratingly for him, it also coincides with an emboldened opposition, one that is no longer fearful of taking him to task or hopeful of getting into bed with his party. The temptation for Ramgoolam now will to be to lash out at opponents, to try to silence them at all wcosts, using the full force of a servile state apparatus. He should remember that by adopting such
a tack, he risks committing political hara-kiri.

Although nothing could be more harmful to his own legacy, his mind sadly seems to have been made up already. So averse is he to having the actions and decisions of his administration submitted to scrutiny that he defends them blindly, tooth and nail, even at the cost of inviting ridicule. He must remember however, that he doesn’t have the benefit of being the Father of the Nation, something that precludes him for the reverence reserved for his father even after the latter engaged in a series of repressive acts in response to his growing unpopularity. For all their passivity, Mauritians do not suffer anti-democratic gestures kindly and the arrest on Tuesday of 20 trade unionists for having the audacity of protesting against amendments to labour legislation reminded many of a darker age.

Yes, their action was illegal but so are countless others that go unsanctioned due to an absence of political will. It’s only when government is inconvenienced that our men in blue act with any discernible zeal or efficacy. And officers who dare to do their jobs are simply transferred at the whims and fancies of politicians.

The case of Yogida Sawmynaden will doubtless go down as an exemplar of what happens when the thin blue line becomes an instrument of oppression. Episodes like these are justifi ably creating the perception that the police force has become an extension of the executive and has thereby abdicated from its responsibilities to the people. The commissioner of police would do well to remember that his duty, first and foremost, is to serve the people of Mauritius, not do the bidding of the political masters of the day.

What should Ramgoolam do? Well, to begin with, he should perhaps listen to the messages coming from the Labour intelligentsia stating that the recent electoral defeat could in fact be a “blessing in disguise”, an opportunity for government to engage in some serious introspection and soul-searching. Unfortunately, Ramgoolam does not seem to possess the sort of fortitude or humility required for such an exercise. In life, one has to learn to take the rough with the smooth, especially when one is endowed with as much power as Navin Ramgoolam.

Nicholas RAINER