Don’t blink as you might miss some scandal that confirms yet again that the country is truly unwell.

You may have breathed a sigh of relief at the departure of the former president of the republic, Ameenah Gurib-Fakim. You may have wished for some serenity and independence at the head of the state from the new guardian of the constitution. Well, your wishes have not been materialised. As soon as the acting president started adjusting to the privileges of the State House, he found ways to please those in power, at the expense of the role he has been entrusted with and which we will be paying him for for the rest of our lives.

So, ‘in his own deliberate judgment’, Barlen Vyapoory suddenly dug out a lawyer whose luck shines every time her party is in power. He suggested the name of Shamila Sonah-Ori on both the Electoral Supervisory Commission and the Electoral Boundaries Commission! Of all the people he could have nominated, his choice fell on the prime minister’s electoral agent in Constituency no.8 and his wife’s cousin, who is already a political nominee on two boards and who has served as mayor under the MSM banner! He arrogantly or out of ignorance failed to consult the “leaders of parties in the Assembly” as clearly stated in section 38 (1) of the constitution and treated with scant respect the objection of the leader of the opposition.

These nominations alone annihilate everything this country has fought for and obtained. Add this nomination to that of Vedita Devi Peerun, daughter of Narain Krishna Peerun, former director general of the NSS under the MSM government and a staunch party supporter – who is another nominee on both commissions – and you realise that this is the most dangerous step this country has taken since independence. The reason is simple: How do you expect the Electoral Commission – a commission that is crucial to the exercise of democracy – to be independent and perceived to be independent if it is run by family and party members? And, entrusting those relatives and party members with re-drawing the electoral boundaries could very easily lead to gerrymandering – a very dangerous situation.

If you blinked again, you may have missed that Bhushan Ori, the husband of the lucky lawyer – who is already a board member of the Medical Council – has also been promoted to Regional Health Director at Victoria Hospital! Luck does not rain but pours on some families!

Who do you complain to? The acting president? The one who is supposed to safeguard the constitution and be the last defence against any attempt to tamper with it? Through Sonah-Ori’s very nomination, he has just proved that he is happy to be reduced to the role of an accomplice. As long as he and his family continue to enjoy all the trappings of his office until his last day on earth and beyond, he might be tempted to sign off on anything!

Those who were rather hoping – against hope – that he would use his time as acting president to bring back some dignity to the State House must now know that he is as much of a rubber stamp as his predecessor. Whether the nomination goes ahead or not; whether the government gives in to the pressure of a united opposition or does what it does best – reward family members and wait for the next scandal to displace this one – Vyapoory has shown that he is not the one who would budge to save democracy. So, welcome to Rubber Stamp Island. Welcome to institutions reduced to sinecures. Welcome to Dictatorship!  

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