Once upon a time, a people were ruled, funnily enough, by only two dynasties for over half a century. These two dynasties had not always been at each other’s throats, mind you, having even enjoyed rather fruitful alliances when necessary, but the more usual pattern had been of not sharing the power and the spoils. They say the more the merrier, but in politics, it is the original 1530 version of this proverb, which seems to make more sense. It reads: “The more, the merrier; the fewer, the better fare”. You will have understood: with fewer guests, there would be more to eat. Got it? It is simple mathematics.

Be it jobs for the boys and girls, contracts of all kinds, per diems, scholarships, letters of recommendation, little or big favors; when your crowd gets into power and you can show proof that you have been helpful, that is indeed the time to “better fare”.

This is a vicious circle though, for if the “hangers on” and partisans can alternately share at the trough, when their party gets to power every four or eight years, the question that needs to be faced is that everybody else gets a sore deal or feels obliged to buy a seat at the table. One way or another, this has malign consequences, both on the economy and democracy itself….

In Communist China, you must be a party member or, even better, a party hack to aspire to any position of responsibility within the state or even to operate successfully. Even Jack Ma of Alibaba is a party member. True, the distortion is not peculiar to communists. Even in the western democracies, being close to the parties in power has its advantages, but at least, until Trump, Orban or Salvini it was not as crass and sordid. Ruling within an echo chamber, where all institutions bow to the emperor’s wish is far too often dysfunctional. Think of Trump and his previous “manly” concerns over wearing masks ….

In Russia, in Turkey, in Syria, NOT being close to the party in power bodes big trouble, makes for difficulties anyone normal would steer away from. We all agree it is messier to dialogue with the ‘gilets jaunes’, but surely ….one breathes better?

If we are to scan the world stage and plot all existing countries on a two dimension scatter diagram of economic development along the y axis and democratic maturity along the x one, we would perhaps see New Zealand in the North East quadrant, inclined eastwards; China in the North West one, pushing ….north west and surely the republic of Burundi stuck in the south west. Where would we put Mauritius? I am not sure, but in truth, if we did plot its meanderings over the last fifty years, it would have been moving in a general north westerly direction, bending south west more recently....Is that desirable ? Has this been planned? Is this what the majority of the population here wants?

If the nomination of people close to the party in power on the Electoral Supervisory Commission is the way to improve our lot as a country holding reputable elections, we are doing fine. If the nomination of Mrs Bhoygah as the CEO of the Standards Bureau at the expense of an executive like Mrs Nanuck – even at the cost of dismissing the whole board, which had initially resisted Mrs Bhoygah’s appointment and replacing it with a compliant one – is right, we are making solid headway. If the Côte d’Or sports complex, the Metro Express and Safe City are reasoned, feasible, national priority investments, then glory be! If the Prosecution Commission Bill of December 2016 was a progressive step towards the greater maturity of our democracy, then we cruelly missed the boat and should hold Xavier-Luc Duval accountable for refusing to vote for it and the population for not granting three quarter majority of seats in parliament in December 2020, in order to try again! If it is ‘par for the course’ to promise a second economic miracle and 5,9 per cent growth to boot and to end up, four years later, with 3,1 per cent, as reviewed downwards post elections, then we are certainly nailing it . If it is indeed sheer coincidence that that many citizens close to power can find the inspiration to supply the ministry of health’s Covid 19 necessities under conditions of urgency, then we really are making fine progress.

However, progress towards what? Are we serious?