The year was tough and the nation came together to grieve over its loss. Loss through an unprecedented calamity of flooding followed by the loss of several lives in a dumb bus accident which could have been avoided. The country stood as one and prayed for its own healing as it took those it had lost into its heart and now recalls them with reverence.

As grief triggers anger, there has been no shortage of outrage and looking for a scapegoat. Unfortunately, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Anil Bachoo took the full brunt of the nation’s anger. Some of which was justified, some not. As information started seeping out, the accusing finger started moving away from General Construction, the company entrusted to build the third lane on the M1 motorway and, ultimately, Anil Bachoo to the construction of the Caudan waterfront and… Anil Bachoo! In his previous life, he had authorized the construction of the Caudan, thus raising the level of land and in the process making the surrounding area a death trap when rains started pouring in. In the end, we also came to the sad realisation that each and everyone of us was responsible for killing our compatriots: our lack of civic responsibility, our total absence of a sense of duty, the way we have been building our houses and disposing of our litter all contributed to the loss of the lives we were grieving over.

Then things started brightening up for Mauritius as the brand new 5-star airport saw the light of day. A jewel which soon became the pride of all Mauritians as they started flocking to it, not necessarily to take a plane but to visit and live the moment of pride the nation wanted to share in.

Before the novelty had worn out, the much awaited Terre Rouge-Verdun road opened. A stunning road which came as an early Christmas gift to the delight of thousands of Mauritians who could no longer cope with the inadequate road infrastructure and the ensuing endless traffic jams. With the same feeling of pride, Mauritians started flocking to the north of the island to admire the view. With the opening of other access roads and more lanes on the M1 motorway, commuters started breathing again.

On the political front, the year was as dull as last year. Parliamentary sessions were as uninspiring as ever and courtship and political survival were the name of the game. Eyes suddenly and out of the blue set on Minister of Finance Xavier Duval. No compliment was too good for him and no comment too trivial. Even the government’s budget was praised in an attempt to seduce its minister of finance! Basking in this sudden attention, Duval lay low. His more immediate worries were with the minister of tourism, Michael Sik Yuen, a saga which shows no sign of abating.

Not to be left out of the seduction game, Navin Ramgoolam pull up – yet again – the same trump card which sends his major opponent reeling to the Treasury building: the White Paper. Although most political analysts know by now that the White Paper will remain white, the political class must find the game amusing enough.

The women in parliament this year were not as quiet as they usually are. They made the headlines for their fishmonger fights within the same coalition. Screams, tantrums and sulking – a feast for misogynists of all creed!

The year finished with the big parties dancing together to the all-to-familiar tune of alliances where the small parties played a role disproportionate to their size. We didn’t find the music exciting so we sat and helplessly watched the sorry state our democracy has been reduced to.

weekly@lasentinelle.mu