by Deepa BHOOKHUN

Prime minister Paul Bérenger is seemingly so worried about violent incidents that have taken place all over the island between agents of the Alliance sociale and those of the MMM-MSM recently that he went to the trouble of telephoning the leader of the Labour party last Friday. But it is not the first phone call. The last one took place on the eve of May Day to again discuss violent incidents.

That was over a month ago. Since then, incidents have not stopped? if anything they have gained in intensity and propensity. Ramgoolam adds that he in turn has called the commissioner of police to ask him to take necessary actions against the perpetrators of the incidents and the latter reportedly replied that the people in question could not be found. Hum, hello?

If Mr Bérenger can go to the trouble of calling the opposition leader to express his concern, I?m sure he must have done the same with the police commissioner. Then why does it seem like the police could not care less?

Not later than Saturday night, we received phone calls from frantic Labour agents telling us that there had been more violent incidents at Mont-Ida. Worse still, that those ?over-zealous? agents were led by a minister, who reportedly also assaulted agents of the opposite team. Under the nose of the police. And no one is concerned? We don?t know yet if this has resulted in another phone call ? all we know is despite the Interior minister expressing his concern over incidents, they are still happening. Is there something we are missing?

Press reports repeatedly speak of violent incidents; those working in different constituencies echo those reports. And yet, no one is arrested; no one is made to answer for one?s despicable actions?

Is this the kind of exemplary elections that Mauritius aspires to in 2005? Do politicians still need to surround themselves with people who think with their muscles rather than with their brains? When is it all going to stop? When will people and most of all, those who want to rule this country, understand that everybody has a job to do and that different job descriptions may not necessarily agree with their own agenda? That people are entitled to their own different opinions and allegiance?

When will politicians and their followers understand that criticism and opposition is a healthy part of democracy? When will men- and women start using their brains rather than their primitive urge of getting even? in whatever form? When will the leaders get rid of the bad apples? I hope we don?t have to wait till the day pigs start to fly?