Facing the press yesterday morning, Paul Bérenger said that as soon as the formula concerning the repartition of tickets, MMM has expressed its dissatisfaction. “However, we believe that the priority of to save the country,” he said. He explained that MMM and PMSD did not agree on the formula 35 tickets for Labour and 25 for the two other parties. “Navin Ramgoolam was under the impression that we agree. There was a confusion about this. But we did not stay on this,” he added. He insisted that now, this is a deal done.
Paul Bérenger explained that on Wednesday, when he met Ramgoolam and Duval, the issue of 8 tickets for the PMSD did not arise. But later, when Adrien Duval spoke to the press, he underlined, there seem to be two complete versions.
Paul Bérenger stated that what Adrien Duval said on Alan Ganoo, Steven Obeegadoo and Kavy Ramano has irritated members of the MMM. “Then, there is the provocation of the picture with Patrick Belcourt. We took stock of it,” he added.
Paul Bérenger insisted on various occasions that himself, the MMM and the Labour Party did everything to the alliance to survive and consolidate. “I have gone out of my way. I even expressed my support on some demands of the PMSD. But we cannot linger things. We have to move on,” he said.
Paul Bérenger also rectified some news. He said that it was logical for the PMSD to have a candidate in either Constituency No 2 or Constituency No 3. However, he added, this is a fact that Labour in these two constituencies have 2 members of Parliament and the MMM one elected member.
He also announced that in Constituency no 14, there has been no discussions on three Labour candidates. In No 19, he said that Deven Nagalingum and himself will be candidates. The third one will either be someone from Labour or PMSD. Finally, in No 20, there will be three MMM candidates, the actual three elected members. “It is totally logic that the Labour party, with 35 tickets, will have three candidates in some constituencies,” he said.
At one point in time, Paul Bérenger revealed that Navin Ramgoolam insisted on the 35 tickets for Labour Party. “He would not budge on it. But it is already the past,” he said.
For him, if the PMSD leave the Labour-MMM-PMSD alliance, the party is bound to make an alliance with the MSM. “This is not what we wish. But there is no other option,” he insisted. He added that even if PMSD leave the alliance, a good Labour-MMM alliance will still win the elections. “But, it is not what we wish,” he underlined.
