The political pot has been in constant turmoil since this regime came to power. With the anti-democratic decisions, the declining institutions, and the appointment of a speaker who raises a lot of questions, we see that it is necessary to look at the political situation in Mauritius. To elaborate more on this theme, the set ki nouvo moris on Monday, August 12, 2024, had as guest Alain Laridon, former deputy and citizen engaged. Ashvin Gudday hosted the show.

Democratic decline.

For Alain Laridon, over the past 5 years, democracy has shrunk. He deplores the fact that the government in place has put tactics over time to muzzle the population and attack institutions. The government has taken advantage of its 2 years to pass repressive laws and thus put a padlock on the democratic space that the population once exercised. For Alain Laridon, it is now time to unlock all the padlocks that this regime in power has placed.

“This is possible with opposition parties. In this way, we will be able to give back to Mauritius the democracy it once enjoyed.”

It is true that for some years now, power has been centralized in the hands of an autocratic regime that does not have the interest of the Mauritian population at heart. Indeed, the decisions that are taken do not reflect the needs of society. Building smart cities for wealthy foreigners or opening the massive recruitment of foreign workers in Mauritius is not beneficial to the nation at all as it creates circular gentrification.

“I have confidence in the Mauritian people, and I believe that we will return to a living democracy. We must unite to rebuild the country.”

The parliamentary crisis.

The parliament, which was supposed to be the temple of democracy, has become like a place of entertainment over time where political actors come to perform every week. Indeed, the Mauritian parliament is going through an unprecedented crisis, and the appointment of Adrien Duval as speaker was the straw that broke the camel’s back. For Alain Laridon, this appointment explains a very calculated approach between the MSM and the PMSD. This is a very unhealthy method of proceeding for the democracy of Mauritius.

“A speaker must be trained and must be impartial. We can’t have a controversial speaker.”

Laridon also points out that this appointment is a very bad signal to the Mauritian youth because it would reinforce their distaste for politics. As a matter of fact, it reinforced the idea that a dynasty had been installed and that certain positions and functions are reserved for the children of politicians. It is true that this way of proceeding is part of the very DNA of the regime in place because let us remember that in 2014, there was the transfer of power between the Jugnauth’s father and son.

“We will have to rethink because the general elections are fast approaching. The initial goal of this election must be to unlock all the locks placed everywhere, work together to rebuild the country, and thus reverse the exodus of talent and the loss of Mauritian workers.”

 To conclude, Mauritius is at a crucial moment in its history. Certainly, the democratic situation of the island has been worsened over the years with the various tactics to muzzle the population and institutions. To remedy this, we will all have to work together to overthrow the regime in place. It is with the support of each person that this will be possible.

Watch the full debate here: