On the one hand, MMM leader and prime minister, Paul Bérenger, tried to adopt a positive mood and convince his delegates of the government?s good results. On the other hand, Labour leader, Navin Ramgoolam, was very virulent and criticized the government saying that it would take the country to the edge of the abyss.

Both leaders went through a marketing campaign. Paul Bérenger laid heavy emphasis on the results his government has obtained. Navin Ramgoolam, for his part, took advantage of the standstill situation in a number of fields. Neither of them however was very convincing.

The MMM leader?s apparent effort to look more serene might be aimed at helping the country recover its serenity after the ethnic tensions which hit the headlines lately. But it might also have been to reassure his activists that everything is under control.

The tactic of the LP leader, as the leader of the Opposition, may be to criticize every single action of the government. A LP member even declared that their role was not to propose solutions, but just to oppose.

It was the first time since his accession to the post of Prime Minister that Paul Bérenger was meeting his party delegates. One of them even declared, ?We thought the MMM and its ministers had forgotten us.? Though his followers are supposed to be already convinced, we must admit that they were not very enthusiastic.

Although the delegates were expected to give their opinion on the government?s action, they seized the opportunity to express themselves on personal and regional matters. This really disappointed the PM who expected a debate on national issues.

The PM tackled numerous topical and more general issues. He expressed his satisfaction with the global positive results of his government so far. The government can indeed congratulate itself that it has obtained a certain number of good results. Nevertheless, much remains to be done.

He said that the government has worked hard to try and restore Law and Order, which had been the subject of a ?complete breakdown? under the previous government. As far as Navin Ramgoolam is concerned, he declared during the meeting with his activists that the sector of Law and Order was getting worse.

Agriculture was at the core of both meetings. While Arvin Boolell declared that there was anarchy in the field, the PM said that measures had been taken in order to bring about reform.

The various price increases were the favourite subject of the opposition. Navin Ramgoolam asserted that there would not have been any price rise if his party had been in power. In his opinion, they could have been avoided. Paul Bérenger however denied this, saying the price rise was due to increases in the countries of origin. He added that the government would take action to help consumers concerning the rise in the price of flour.

The PM also tackled the field of education. He is said to be studying the possibility of proposing Portuguese as an option, as it is used in countries of the Southern African Development Community. It is also the spoken language in Mozambique. Navin Ramgoolam avoided the issue and merely criticized the reform in education.

The Labour Party asked for immediate elections. It believes everything is getting worse with this government in power and that ?there is a real alternative for the country.? Would it now be ready to propose solutions?

The MMM confirmed that it will go to the next elections with its partner the MSM. The government should, however, show a strong will to win the next elections as the mood looks lukewarm at the moment.