In most places, most of the time, democratic politics is the act of selecting the lesser evils. Elections hinge on undecided voters who weigh up options to gauge which has the least bad implications for their livelihoods. As a result, voters had chided PTR for their sour campaign with MMM. And Lepep won more resoundingly than almost anyone foresaw. Lepep had market-tested their pitch to voters. PTR/MMM relied on errant guesswork and their own prejudices and so-called "leadership-too big to fail" arithmetics.

In other words, all one needs is to get yourself a book of fear or any campaign material that deal with how to win with a "fear card", like the manner President Nixon have told his aides back in 1972, which was when he said: "that people do not vote their hopes but their fear". Meaning the fear of what the other guy will do to their well being and the rest of their comfort will do wonders for you, if you could convince them that you are lesser of an evil in the choice of an election. 

That is precisely why Lepep won. Now, Lepep must prove that change will not only not make people worse off but actually leave them better off. Otherwise the upheaval is not worth the punt. The faint prospect of net economic loss will chill the blood of the voters.

Six months down the line, the monomaniacal focus on revenge, the failure to match voter’s fervour, which is mainly job creation and economic relaunch is impacting negatively. Although important, the consistent relentless campaign of the previous PTR leader is dry, cynical and boring. The daily Ad Hominem attacks against the Rawats, BAI Saga, Lottotech, to mention a few, have turned investors to become deliciously paranoid. People hate the unquantifiable threat to their pockets more than the vagaries of politics. Voters seem to agree with Lepep but reaching the opposite conclusion. Ministers need to understand that banging hands on the table everyday will not make for productive engagement and take Mauritius to the next high level of growth.

Rather than delivering on promises other than cleaning up from the previous govt's mess, we now also have the emotional exhortation that unless they clear all of the previous govt's mess, nothing can and will be achieved.In the meantime, investors have become reluctant, people are losing jobs, and the economy as a whole has not yet had the boost we were promised. And finally, the real focus has now turned on the municipal elections. Apparently they need more power. In the meantime, no sign of the minimum wage rate yet, no sign of the declaration of assets and freedom of information act yet.Either they are incapable or just plain liars, like the previous ones. So lets keep praying and wait for better days.