It is that time of year again: insults, mutual recrimination, communication stunts, chest thumping, hot air and empty symbolism. As the campaign moves into higher gear, there is no reason to expect anything to warm our spirits as there is an unfortunate air of indifference to the main issues. Politicians will all trim their sails to the prevailing wind and murmur vague promises but will make no specific commitments to what really matters: how to concretely reduce public expenditure and wastage by the various organs of the state.

Far be it from us to draw facile comparisons between countries, which may be inappropriate and even spurious, we would nonetheless like to highlight a few examples:

We learnt by sheer accident in a conversation with the US ambassador that she travels economy class from Mauritius all the way back to her country –at least a 21-hour journey. Rather than feeling bad, she reckons that it is a good way to “look after the pennies”. The saving is considered significant enough for the world’s largest economy. 

In the same spirit of saving pennies in hard times, the British government has reduced the number of governmental cars from 136 to 85! We are talking about Westminster here: 22 ministers and 650MPs. I dread to even begin to think about the number of official cars in circulation in our tiny country.

In Italy, a total of 170 cars including Jaguars, BMWs and Maseratis were auctioned off in an effort to rein in extravagant spending by the political elite.

In France, François Hollande has promised to put an end to former heads of state cumulating a pension with private employment as he feels this is “unhealthy”. According to French author RenéDosière, “in itself, this does not constitute a considerable amount but in these days, there is no small saving.”

And while the big economies are looking into every little penny they can save to try and cut costs, over here, the enormous patronage mill –which works full blast during election campaigns –must be very busy dishing out promises to the boys. Those who will head our embassies with full privileges. Those who will join the long list of ‘advisers’, the gentlemen in suits –God bless them –who work so hard giving self-interested advice. Those who will be rewarded with some parasatatal sinecures –a huge salary and scrumptious fringe benefits, from limousines to different missions abroad to discover the wonders of junketeering and per diems. As for those who will sit in our national assembly, they need not worry. They only need a couple of stints there to be looked after by the state for the rest of their lives. At our expense, of course.

And, in a country where politicians never retire and keep resuscitating in different forms and guises, to make even a cat envious, the cumulative advantages they draw are obscene by any standards.

But then again, when you are the envy of the world because of your unlimited resources, as we are, who cares about pennies?

So we are still waiting for the manifesto which will promise to reduce jobs for the boys, keep parasites of all sorts with their benefits to a minimum and look into the undue advantages of those mediocre souls who benefit from patronage. We are still waiting for Godot –that is.