Trick or treat

Like everybody else, I believe it?s time to turn the page after the much anticipated victory of the Alliance sociale. It has not been a very graceful fight of some bald men over a comb after all! It is nevertheless useful and recommended to cast a few glances at a few glaring faux-pas of those debilitating leaders.

I was personally appalled that, on Mayday, someone could come forward and insult our intelligence by saying only he and his ally know the date of the coming election. As if they were members of a secret society and had some occult power over mortals like you and me. How do you describe this and how do you deal with such irreverence and gross behaviour? Well you sack the man who thinks power means taking advantage of others.

Abusing their so-called ?power? has been the main reason for the downfall of the two leaders of the past regime. If you look at them, you see two insecure toddler-like-adults trying to impress with tricks. And it was just a facade as, behind the talk-show and the photo sessions, there was nothing. Not even vacuum! On the one side, we had a bully trying to desperately win everybody with haute couture and neologisms, but thin-skinned to accept any criticism. On the other , we had mummy?s laadla (fils à maman) trying to convince he is cut for the job.

It was maybe the race between the lesser evil and, according to results, it would appear that despite trying to ?demonise? (love this don?t you???) the leaders of Alliance sociale, the latter have somehow managed to win the hearts of the majority. But can Alliance sociale deliver the goods?

Do bear in mind that, with all the hype and myth around Bérenger, he has been a very mediocre PM so far. And expectations do not run high for Ramgoolam as we have been led to believe he is a ?London boy? and slow when compared to workaholic Bérenger. Someone recently pointed out in a column what really consisted Bérenger?s ?work?. Nothing challenging really if you can put up with daily marathon media sessions and the costume for each occasion...

Do not gauge from this that I am all in favour of Alliance sociale. My concern simply limits to realistic expectations from the new cabinet. Everybody is looking for ?change? and it has to be synonymous to good governance. The new government should take lessons from those who tricked us in the past. We are not looking for treat or favours. We simply appreciate not being taken for a horde of dim-wits who have given carte blanche to a bunch of people who will just feather their own nests.

Let us sort our priorities by trying to build together a national roof for once. Let us get rid of those disgraceful rhetoric we are so jaded with. Let us make of the Parliament a place where ideas are valued and opinions respected and not our little playschool. Let us think why the young no longer take politicians as role models. Let us think that five years is not such a long time... Then it all amounts to changing head every five years without changing anything. Let us not tire those poor journalists running after us 24/7 as we all have jobs to do. There are debates best carried by the public, others by MPs and still others by journalists.

So let us define our responsibilities once and for all and remember that intellectual enhancement is ephemeral. Let us remember how easy it is to turn from a hero to a zero. Let us not pick on someone just because he does not bow to us. Let us stop giving the Hindus a staple diet of poojas and hijack their religious celebrations. Let us stop fooling the Muslims over the MPL.

Let us remember that we may fool a few people a few times but we cannot fool everybody all the time. Bérenger was given his chance and he has failed us; so let?s give the new PM a chance to prove himself. He has five years to show how far he deserves our trust. He should remember this is not a personal glorification race and the whole package is not simply about winning a title but about doing a job the best he can.

Ayesha