It was another case of so near yet so far. Indeed, even though the deal was probably doomed from the outset, we came apparently this close to a historic bipartisan agreement on electoral reform. It was a bit like watching the lottery draw on television and having four of your numbers come up in your heart of hearts, you know that you haven’t a snowball’s chance in Hell of winning, but still can’t help feeling a sense of trepidation in the pit of your stomach. The CCID-shaped spanner in the works notwithstanding, it showed that the leaders of the main parties can actually work together, if sufficiently motivated. According to Paul Bérenger, they were even prepared to go so far as to amend the Constitution in the name of their newfound mutual understanding. Ultimately though, it ended up being another hollow sideshow to the eternal main act of power grabbing and consolidation.

Still, the episode gave us a glimpse of what can be achieved with a kernel of a consensus. It’s also something we should build on. The real question is whether our politicians can agree on matters that go beyond their base self-interest. Would it be unrealistic, for instance, to ask the usual suspects to join forces on subjects of national importance, such as corruption and law and order, rather than on subjects that concern mostly themselves? Of course, it would. Yet, surely the fact that they’re killing the country from within should compel our decision-makers to give these two issues at least something approaching the level of attention lavished on electoral reform.

And, although this week’s volte-face might make another rapprochement seem highly unlikely, there’s no denying that the country urgently needs a bit of bipartisanship. To borrow loosely from the eminently quotable Winston Churchill, the time for half-measures is definitely over. Yet, that’s exactly what we’re getting. Take the burning issue of the insecurity wracking the country. The commissioner of police, Dhun Iswar Rampersad, recently said that crime had ped by 16%, a statistic that was as convincing as Sarah Palin’s knowledge of geography. The fact of the matter is that a growing number of Mauritians are scared to even leave their homes after dark. This is as bad for the economy as it is for morale.

Dhun Iswar Rampersad also reiterated that the police force needs the support of the population. This seems like a bit of a, ahem, cop out. Naturally, neighbourhoods have a central role to play in law enforcement, but what exactly has been done to get the concept of community policing off the ground? Surely, it presupposes that the police have to at least start reaching out to the community. Simply wheeling out politically-correct buzzwords will do little toimprove the situation. On another equally glum note, four ministers have had allegations of improper conduct made against them and although the relevant institutions are looking into these cases, this situation is hardly a recipe for success.

All of this is creating a climate of suspicion and anger, to the extent that the social contract itself is at risk. It’s imperative that our political leaders make up their minds, once and for all, about who they want to be with. Once that’s done, they should get down to tackling the real issues of the day. They seem to think that getting elected is like winning the lottery, but now it’s time for the population’s lucky number to come up.

Nicholas RAINER