The MMM/PTR/PMSD alliance was in Chemin-Grenier yesterday, Friday November 17. A gathering where most of the leaders stressed that 2024 will be the year of elections, and that change must come to save the country.
For the leader of the Labour Party, the people must show that they are not afraid. He feels that this alliance is working as a single team, and we know that if a wave rises, they will all be swept away. For the government, this opposition alliance must be broken at all costs. But for Navin Ramgoolam, the three leaders are putting their differences aside to save the country. In his view, we have never had a government that protects only those closest to it. Like other speakers, he commented on the meals served in hospitals, and spoke of the deaths of people on dialysis. Navin Ramgoolam also spoke of journalists being thrown out of private radio stations. For him, the problem is that there is no meritocracy, which explains many of the country’s problems. He also spoke of recruitment, which is the cause of young people deciding to leave the country. Navin Ramgoolam also talked about the cost of living and the plummeting rupee, giving the example of Benylin syrup, which has gone from Rs 92 in its day to Rs 210 today. He also wondered how, in 2008, a barrel of oil cost 132 dollars and a liter sold for 49.50. Today, the barrel is 78 dollars and petrol costs Rs 69 a liter. Other subjects addressed by Navin Ramgoolam and Franklin included who is protecting him, and the fact that Mauritius has become a drug hub for Africa… He also spoke of the recent floods, and the drains that have been diverted for the Metro Express project. Navin Ramgoolam believes that the government will do anything to stay in power, having used the communal weapon to create division in the country.
Paul Bérenger stressed that the alliance will not seek revenge, “but we must be held to account for all the scandals that have affected the country,” adding, “zot pe fini nou pey”.
Paul Bérenger, for his part, declared that this government is finishing off the country, corruption, drugs, economy, domination. He also spoke of the speaker of the Assembly, the abuse of democracy. According to the MMM leader, people don’t realize the situation in the country, for example the public debt which continues to increase, the generalized social contribution, inflation, the devaluation of our rupee, he also underlined Xavier’s decision who preferred to leave the government than to vote this law against the DPP. He spoke of oil import contracts, which we decided to broker.
As for the PMSD leader, he gave his assurance that the next government would be responsible for saving the country. Commenting on the case of expired products at Jeetoo Hospital, Xavier-Luc Duval maintained that “it’s not Minister Kailesh Jagutpal who will bring change, pou bizin met dimounn ki anvi travay”. Returning to the floods at the St-Jean cemetery, which have caused outrage in recent days, Xavier-Luc Duval believes that the government is to blame. He promises to “review the whole situation at this level”, once in power.
Xavier Duval also spoke about domestic violence, because in his opinion, this government has given carte blanche to those who commit acts of violence against women. For him, the number of cases of violence has risen to 8,600 since last year, and he comments on the decreasing number of Protection Order cases. He also commented on hospital meals and floods. Xavier Duval spoke of the trauma of the people affected. The opposition leader also spoke of geographical poverty, geographical unemployment. For him, the next government will give special attention to the south.
