The Leader of the PTr did not go easy in the press briefing. He believes that the government is making a mockery of our democracy and the judiciary. He focused on the case of the deportation of the Slovakian, Peter Uricek. He also spoke about the burning issue between the Mauritius Turf Club (MTC) and the government. The Labour Leader claims that the MSM is imposing a “Rogue State” on Mauritians.
The three axes of democracy under attack
“The things that are happening in the countries are very, very, very serious and even too serious. Democracy is under threat. The MSM is showing a travesty of democracy, and the red line has already been crossed. We accept too much. We must stop accepting,” said Dr Navin Ramgoolam at the beginning of his press conference. He explained that three axes of democracy are being flouted, namely Free and Fair Elections, which is illustrated by the antics of the previous elections. The second axis is Free Speech, Freedom of Association, Freedom of Protest, which he illustrated with the arrests, questioning and often, last Fridays of demonstrators or any serious comment against the government on social networks and finally, the Freedom of Law where he talks of the impartiality of justice, which is questionable, according to him. He relied on a quote from John Locke, who said in 1690 that “Wherever law ends, Tyranny begins”. Dr Ramgoolam said that “it is imperative to have a separation between the legislative, executive and judiciary. Otherwise, we are heading towards an autocracy.” These three essential components are under attack by the MSM.
Court decision flouted
Facing the press, he commented on the deportation of the Slovakian, Peter Uricek and the incidents that followed between the lawyer and President of the Bar Council, Yatin Varma and the officers of the Passport and Immigration Office last Tuesday. To recall, Peter Uricek, 51, is wanted in his country for drug trafficking and has been deported on Tuesday, despite an injunction issued by Judge Iqbal Maghooa against his deportation and extradition pending a decision by the Port Louis Court. “This is another blow to our democracy. The red line has been crossed. It is not acceptable for the executive to ignore a decision of the Court. These events give the impression that everything was planned in advance,” said Dr Ramgoolam. He said that “for a plane to land in Mauritius with Slovaks on board, it needs an authorization from the PMO. Who gave permission for a Slovak plane to land in Mauritius? Do we have an extradition agreement with Slovakia? Who signed the documents in connection with the deportation of Peter Uricek? And, under what title has Peter Uricek emained in Mauritius since 2018?”. During his speech, he also repeated the grotesque words of the policeman, who appears in the video, stating that “orders come from above” to qualify that Mauritians are living in a “Rogue State”. No one is safe. Contempt of Court is criminal! The MSM is a dangerous party for the country. “Every time the MSM is in power, it is the same drifts, the same scandals and the same weakening of the institutions,” he said. He took the opportunity to remind his opponent, namely the MSM, that he was not fooled and that it should not be forgotten that he has been the Prime Minister for 14 years. He invites the population to make the right decision.
MTC – the death of 210 years of history!
On this tug of war between the Mauritius Turf Club (MTC) and the authorities, the Leader of the Reds believes that the Municipality of Port Louis has terminated the lease of the MTC by ignoring the procedures and wonders why would the government want to take control of the MTC, which has been running the races for 210 years? “To please Jean Michel Lee Shim?” He recalled that it is the Parliament that gives orders to the MTC. He has made it clear that the MSM government will use these “billions” as a “war chest” at the elections’ time. “The government is going crazy over the unemployment that will follow and also the shape of the horses that require a lot of care,” he said.
As a reminder, following an order from the Ministry of Local Government, the MTC is no longer allowed to operate the Champ-de-Mars. The MTC was informed on Wednesday 27 April of the termination of its lease, “Concession de Privilège”, by the Port-Louis City Council. “According to my information, the MTC’s Concession de Privilège is open until 2028.” He concluded by saying “The MSM is acting like a thug, doing manipulation, money politics, electoral fraud and not referring enough to history. Dictatorship does not last forever. They are calling on the people to rebel. This is an attack on the rule of law. We can’t wait for the next elections”. During questions from the press, he spoke of the STC and has made it clear that the prices hike would not end there!
