The dilly-dallying expressed by the leader of the opposition, Paul Bérenger, has marked the political scene this week. Not that it is anything new. You will recall that, not long ago, there was a “cooling off period” (Oh, I just lurve the terms Bérenger effortlessly coins!) during which the koz-kozer  with the Labour Party resumed before we heard that it was business as usual within the remake and move along, nothing to see here! So, we have become perfectly accustomed to the morality which makes it absolutely fi ne for someone to propose to his girlfriend while cheating with his mistress.

Still, a lot of speculation followed and the press had a field day grinding out endless stories – spun for maximum shock effect – about whether the remake is going ahead or not. What was new perhaps was that Bérenger has now openly stated that the MMM could either go it solo, with the MSM or with a junior partner – options best summarised through the reaction of the cartoonist Deven T., who portrayed Paul Bérenger publicly announcing: “We have a choice between going to the elections with a junior partner or going to the elections with a junior partner.” Seriously, what exactly is the choice? And how many major parties are there in this tiny country?

Whether Paul Bérenger’s outburst was an attempt at taming his partner or a genuine desire to give the militants a say, the fact that he added, in the same breath, that Anerood Jugnauth’s resignation did not make a dent on the political scene, shakes the very foundation of the alliance. We will recall that after May 1st rally, Bérenger had expressed his disappointment that the newly-born remake did not attract the expected crowds and even congratulated Navin Ramgoolam for “having kept his head above water”. The municipalities followed with pretty much the same lacklustre effect.

Could the leader of the opposition be taking stock at this late hour or is he really pressured by the grassroots militants who are alarmed at the number of investitures slipping through their fingers? Is there pressure from those who would be relegated to playing second-fi ddle if 50% of the grub were to be given away?

What is clear at this point is that whether the recalcitrant militants have it their way or not will depend on their options. Some still believe an alliance with the Labour Party is possible and are looking out for any sign that one of the two longterm lovers may be sending to the other: a hint, a word in a public statement, body language… Some have even delved into sartorial language: the mauve tie the prime minister was seen wearing at some event was interpreted as a sign to the leader of the opposition to ‘come hither’.

A Facebooker compared this political situation to that of someone who has only two sets of underwear. “Every time the chap has a shower,” the Facebooker says, “he has to make a very important decision: whether to put the dirty underwear back on or change into the other dirty set which is in the laundry.”

Remember, co-gullible voters, that all the politicians have worn, re-worn and exchanged the same dirty underwear. We just tend to forget every time the polls open. Which is why we have been pleading for political parties to opt for post-election alliances. That would give them time to acquire new underwear and pay a fair price for it – the currency being the number of votes we choose to give.

weekly@lasentinelle.mu