<B>Par Deepa BHOOKHUN </B>

The past days have been surreal. I can of course only speak for myself but it took me a good few days to digest the contents of the ?winning formula.? It left me with a bizarre feeling? If this is a winning formula, I thought to myself, what would it take to put together? a losing one?

Two and a half years of prime ministership for Paul Bérenger and the same for ?younger brother? Pravind, defeated WTO candidate Cuttaree as minister of Finance and a promotion for the popular and successful Samioullah Lauthan (who made so many people happy during this particular office as minister of social security.) And that?s not all: a woman as President of the Republic! Wow! And not just anyone; the bets are on minister Arianne Navarre-Marie and PPS Françoise Labelle. The latter whose main achievement so far is her fight against the inclusion of oriental languages. Not a good criterion to become President I don?t think but hey?

But then again what do I know? In any case, this formula has one thing going for it I suppose: ?everybody? is definitely on board! I suppose things change as time goes by. And one shouldn?t be surprised. I mean, would you have expected the Speaker of the National Assembly to resign from office because he has decided he wants to run for elections? Would you expect a prime minister to criticize a country like France? at a political gathering simply because France did not support Mr Bérenger?s friend? I am telling you, times have changed?

And forget about respecting the office of the President of the Republic; it might as well have not existed for all the importance and deference we are giving it. Great way to treat institutions! Gives me great hope for my country.

Oh and another thought. I do not see how Pravind Jugnauth?s MSM is getting anything out of this ?winning formula.? Unless I am thoroughly mistaken, this whole formula is not about the ?alliance?. It is about the MMM. And we are also none the wiser as to the role Paul Bérenger is supposed to be playing after he resigns as prime minister. I wonder why we haven?t been told? I also wonder about the private thoughts of the man sitting in Réduit?