The opposition alliance has not survived its defeat in the municipal elections. While the government is still celebrating its victory, the Mauritian Socialist Movement (MSM), Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), and the Parti Mauricien Social Democrate (PMSD) have each started a period of reflection… and have finally decided to break up. Each party wants to rebuild, go back to what used to make its own strength and eventually get back together for the 2010 general polls. The only area of consensus is to have Paul Bérenger as the leader of the opposition.

If the opposition alliance had accepted its lot in the general elections, the results of the municipal polls have been their downfall. The MMM, which had ruled over the five municipalities for nearly 30 years is now reduced to having one councillor only. There is definitely a new political landscape: the Social Alliance has more strength than ever while the MMM has never been so weak.

It is clear that each party within the oppossition has been experiencing tough times since July – or even before - since they lost the by-election in Rivière-du-Rempart. The MSM has more MPs than the MMM in Parliament but its leader’s defeat in the general elections makes the party appear nearly non-existent. MMM members seem to have lost all courage and its leader, Paul Bérenger, might need some time to recover from these defeats.

<B>Of course, Paul Bérenger had already explained that each party had to recover alone to better reflect on what went wrong and be confident about the future. But he was not as adamant as his former ally, the PMSD.</B>

In fact, the only party which seems to have regained some strength is the PMSD of Maurice Allet. The fact that it has the highest number of councillors elected in municipalities might have done a lot – two, while its former allies had one each. Moreover, its new members, especially Sandra O’Reilly and Stéphane Buckland, might have brought some fresh air to the party and it looks more ready than ever for a revival.

The PMSD was the first to announce the end of its partnership in the alliance. Of course, Paul Bérenger had already explained that each party had to recover alone to better reflect on what went wrong and be confident about the future. However, he was not as adamant as his former ally, who did not hesitate to say that the “PMSD is leaving the MSM-MMM alliance.” Even though all partners are reluctant to talk of “divorce”, the separation has taken place.

This was confirmed by Pravind Jugnauth in a press conference last Saturday – one day after Maurice Allet. “There is no longer an alliance. We have taken our political independence.” Like his former partner, Maurice Allet, he however insisted that Paul Bérenger would remain the official opposition leader.

This new situation should give more independence to each party but it should apparently in no way give more power to the government. They have decided to stay together as the opposition but this should not prevent them from “having different opinions on a certain number of subjects and expressing them.”

<B>New mayors</B>

The five municipalities are now in the hands of the government. With three Labour mayors, one from the PMXD and the last one from the Mouvement Républicain (MR), the social alliance has made room for everyone. But the newly elected mayors are adamant that they have duties and intend to accomplish them. Reza Issack, in Port-Louis, advocates work, discipline and productivity to make of the capital a third millennium town. In Rose-Hill, Varen Andee, a disappointed MMM member who joined the MR, wants to change the town into what it used to be a few years ago. Like his predecessors, Ramakrishna Appadu, wants to provide Quatre-Bornes with a new market and work with the citizens to make it deserve its name of “town of flowers”. Christian Hurhungee wants to build on the potential of Curepipe to become a tourist site. This should bring money and jobs to the town, which will help fight drugs and idleness. Finally, Hiren Jankee is determined to work hard to develop projects. With his councillors he wants to revive Vacoas-Phoenix according to its inhabitants’ real wishes.