The Prime minister’s fruitful visit to Reunion with the agreements he has managed to secure could have grabbedall the headlines this week. Instead, it was drowned in the murky waters of what has been baptized “the scandal of the century”.

And it’s all so incestuous. The minister of Finance, son of the president of the Republic, proposes to sell his family clinic, which no one has had any use for for the last ten years, to the government he represents. His cousin, the minister of Health, agrees with him and he is happy to sign the cheque to himself and his relatives in time. The Capital Gains Tax which he reintroduced himself was, coincidentally, not in force yet. In a unique press exercise called a “press statement”, meaning the minister engages in a monologue and the journalists shut up, and in a fashion reminiscent of the Tudor Court, Her Royal Highness the minister of Health decreed that her cousin had followed the procedures and that MedPoint was the best value for money for the country.

Who cares whether the procedures were followed or not? In banana republics, procedures can be bent backwards to achieve almost anything. Who even cares whether it is the best value for money or not? What is of concern to us is public morality and ethics. Is signing a cheque to oneself on behalf of all of us ethical and morally acceptable? Questions which will never be answered because Her Royal Highness “decided” that they should not be asked.

And this disturbing trend did not start yesterday. The Sun Trust was not built yesterday. The money for letting it out to the government that the owners represented was not pocketed yesterday and the contract which made the cancellation of the deal as profitable as the deal itself was not drafted yesterday.

It is obvious that ethics do not exactly figure top of the list of many politicians and that the language we speak is alien to them. It is equally obvious that if the citizens themselves are unwilling to truly take their gloves off and demand some decorum and a sense of ethics from our leaders, we will continue to grow bananas for the rest of our days.

Until then, let’s congratulate ourselves for being the proud owners of a dilapidated clinic resuscitated from bankruptcy and oblivion, symptomatic perhaps of the state we will be in when we need to use it. Let’s also take this opportunity to welcome Mr. Muni Krishna Reddy to the helm of the State Bank, a position which we will have to eat less rice and lentils to continue to pay for. We also wish Mr. Harry Tirvengadum, yesterday’s advisor to Mr. Bunsgraz on Air Mauritius matters, a peaceful life in the midst of his family since it is clear now that he is too sick to ever be able to face justice. His advice has been valuable, particularly to Mr. Bunsgraz on whose behalf we allow ourselves to thank him. We will miss his unforgettable voice which has been softly echoing in our ears since we heard it on Radio Plus and we trust the integrity of the doctors who signed his medical certificates. In the meantime, let’s have the death penalty reintroduced for anyone who does not belong to the above incestuous circle. Long live justice and transparency, the hallmarks of this country!

weekly@lexpress.mu

Commentaires

Par Pratima
Jan 28, 2011

I totally agree with Henry. Please compare Mrs Prayag''''s contemptuous remarks about Mauritians with the elegance of Mr Salesse on the same subject.
 
Par James Junior
Jan 28, 2011

Touria should first of all try to understand Mauritius in the right context. Either she is not aware of what she is writing or she is completely naïve. I think it’s both. Is there such a thing as morality and ethics when one is dealing with politicians? Where has Touria been all these years? Worth stating that politicians are different breeds who speak different languages as compared to us, mere mortals. Nobody is going to eat less rice and lentils. The show will go on. One can forgive her for thinking she is still in India. As for her suggestion that we should bring utter death penalty, this is complete and utter rubbish. She should refer to Dr Seeookumar Chumun’s argument against death penalty. While every nation is clamouring for the abolishing of death penalty, Her Royal Highness Touria Prayag is advocating for it. Get a life and come to your senses. 
 
Par Singfat Chu
Jan 28, 2011

With such deficiencies in ethics and morality, let''s not even think of the french-style "deuxieme republique" with its even higher concentration of power in just one individual.
 
Par Henry
Jan 28, 2011

Mrs.Prayag,do you really understand what you are talking about? I doubt it so much.In future think twice before you make any such childish remarks about Mauritius and Mauritians.I do not know how much you already know about Mauritius.Calm down please. 
 
Par DAVE
Jan 28, 2011

DEAR SUNIL. LET THE LADY SPEAK, WHETHER SHE IS MAURITIAN OR NOT. MAURITIANS SPEAK IN UK N FRANCE N WHEREVER THEY HAPPEN TO BE. WHY SHOULD SHE SPARE MAURITIANS....... WE VOTED again for THE GUYS WHO RIPPED US RS45m. we should accept our responsibility.
 
Par sunil
Jan 28, 2011

Mrs Prayag. With due respect, please STOP passing such incestuous remarks on the whole of Mauritius, and better ones on the MSM which you seem to support wholeheartedly. The first time, the MSM showed its mettle with the Sun Trust building and pocketed a hefty 45 million rupees of my taxes.This is the second time. Further, it appears you are not a Mauritian by birth, so it is better that you should refrain from passing such remarks on all of Mauritius...