You wanted to have some transparency? Here it is live from our National Assembly – the very institution where opposition MPs and backbenchers are supposed to hold government to account. To Reza Uteem’s question as to why Fawzia Toorawa’s contract as chairperson of the Early Childhood Care and Education Authority had been renewed when members are normally appointed for only a period of two years, the answer of the minister of education, Leela Devi Dookun Luchoomun, was simple: “The ministry has decided to renew her contract.” There! What’s your problem? 

“Does that have anything to do with the family ties which this lady has with various people in cabinet and the fact that she is the daughter of Ahmad Jeewah (the brother of Minister of Gender Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo) who has just crossed over to your party?” Uteem persisted. I mean it’s a legitimate question considering that Jeewah not only left the MMM overnight and joined the MSM. He also immediately took on the responsibility of leading a cheap government propaganda campaign, waxing lyrical about the prime minister whose qualities he has just discovered. 

“I refuse to reply to such statements, which I consider to be totally irrelevant,” was all the minister had to say. Whatever the minister considers irrelevant is irrelevant. Amen! So shut up and move along. There’s nothing to see here. Government is government and government decides. 

Has Rakesh Gooljaury been interrogated, arrested or prosecuted so far regarding the commissions Pravind Jugnauth himself admitted that the former had received? Well, not exactly. “He gave statements to the police. Information is being received and the inquiry is ongoing. A number (Sic) of evidence have (Sic) to be gathered from a number of countries.” For someone being investigated and where evidence has to be gathered from so many countries, “is it normal for the prime minister to sit next to him at the VIP section during the recent Indian Ocean Island Games?” Ritish Ramful asked. 

“The ICAC must be really thorough. So thorough in fact that no investigation is concluded in time to cause any inconvenience or the slightest embarrassment for government.”  

No answer. Government is government and government decides who should be treated as a VIP in this country and who should be treated otherwise. 

“Does the prime minister find it appropriate for the former attorney general who was himself allegedly involved in a case of fraud (Bet365) – to be part of a committee investigating fraud allegations in the Gambling Regulatory Authority?” MP Franco Quirin asked. 

“There is no provisional charge against him, so what are you talking about?” Isn’t that still against the ethics of that committee? “You don’t know anything about ethics,” was Anerood Jugnauth’s arrogant answer.  Why is the investigation taking a long time? “Am I supposed to inquire? I don’t do inquiries. The investigation is ongoing.” You will recall that every embarrassing investigation is ongoing. Vijaya Sumputh’s, Youshreen Choomka’s, all the protagonists in the Bet365 saga… The ICAC must be really thorough. So thorough in fact that no investigation is concluded in time to cause any inconvenience or the slightest embarrassment for government.  

A line of credit was previously offered to the former Labour government in Mauritius with an interest rate of 0.8 per cent. Why is this government paying 1.8%? “It isn’t,” was all Osman Mahomed could get as a delayed answer. Can you table the document for all to see? Can the speaker listen to a point of order? No. No. Then a nice distraction is staged for the gallery, a government backbencher, Ravi Rutnah, happily takes one for the team and we are treated to the same happy ending: political nominees’ contracts extended beyond the norms, juicy appointments to committees of inquiry entrusted to cronies who are themselves being investigated for similar allegations of impropriety, notorious bandits who enjoyed undue privileges under the previous government are now having the time of their life safe in the knowledge that they will never be called to account. And, abracadabra! Any whiff of transparency about how our public money is being spent is quashed without further ado! 

Government is still government and government continues to decide in the utmost opacity. 

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