• Mr. Mohamed, is there a whiff of elections in the air?

No. My personal opinion as an observer and knowing my friend Navin Ramgoolam, the present prime minister (PM), I don’t think the opposition can expect him to advise the president to dissolve parliament and announce early elections.

• I don’t think anybody expects the PM to advise the president but the opposition is saying that they could get some Members of Parliament (MPs) to leave the Labour Party (LP,) resign as a block and then call for early elections.

Well that’s pure wishful thinking! I don’t see anybody with any interest in leaving the Labour Party at this juncture. As far as I know, the members of Labour are all faithful to the prime minister and to the party.

• Well it’s good that you think so but I don’t know if the prime minister himself believes it.

As an observer I don’t know what the PM believes.

• But why did he postpone his trip to Australia, then?

You would have to go and ask him that.

• What is your reading?

Personally from what I know and I know quite a few people from the LP, I don’t see anyone willing to betray the  PM. My personal opinion is that at the moment you have one minister out of the country - Dr. Kassenally is going on pilgrimage and Arvin Boolell is also leaving for a conference. Therefore, he wants to be in Mauritius to look after the affairs of the country. It’s not about people wanting to betray and leave the party.

Nothing like that. This is again pure speculation on the part of those who wish to demean the PM and the LP and want elections.

• Talking about elections, there’s speculation about Anerood Jugnauth returning to politics…

Well, this is a free country and we believe in total democracy. Mr. Jugnauth is free to come back and so is any other previous minister or president for that matter. However, although this is not spelt out in any laws, I think it’s a breach of ethics. I mean you are enjoying all the benefi ts of your presidency and now you want to come and present yourself as a potential prime minister. This is unheard of in any country that is not a banana republic.

• You said it’s a free country so what’s stopping him from coming back?

I think it’s against all ethics. It is totally against propriety. He is enjoying all these advantages such as the State House, a free car, escort and whatnot.

• Maybe he will choose to relinquish all those privileges.

If he does that, that’s another matter. But if you are still president, you cannot demean that office by coming down because your son and his party are in danger of disappearing. And he is using the Réduit as a base to
do politics!

• People seem to want him to come back to ‘save the country’. Who has asked him to save the country?

Save his own son perhaps. Even then, he will not be able to save him.

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Touria PRAYAG