<B>By Deepa BHOOKUN</B>

The world came to a standstill last Wednesday.

It did, I assure you. OK, maybe you didn?t notice and let me tell you - if that?s the case then it?s awfully rude of you. How could you carry on as if it were business as usual when poor Nando Bodha was on the brink of losing his opposition leader?s seat? How could you pretend nothing earth-shattering was happening when Paul Bérenger was losing sleep because he was so excited at the prospect of getting his stolen seat back that he didn?t know how to accept it without appearing overly keen to do so?

How could you?

I was mystified to see how so elementary a logic, like when the balance of power within the opposition has shifted, so must it be reflected by a change in the leader of the opposition, seemed so complicated to the main protagonists.

I don?t want to be leader of the opposition at any cost?, Paul Bérenger was reported as saying. And then, a subtle change in the language the next day: ?It?s up to Bodha to do what he feels is right? but ?the seat should be ours?. We also got told that the MMM leader ?may not accept the seat if he is offered it?. Why? Because ?he does want to be seen as thirsty for power.?

Goodness! All this for what? So that the MSM takes the lead and informs the President that it would renounce the coveted seat so that the President can appoint Bérenger. Once the move came from the MSM, surprise, surprise, there was none of all the hesitation and fake modesty the MMM had filled our ears with for the better part of last week. No Sir, MMM leader, despite ?information? that he ?may? not accept the appointment, readily did so!

The MSM with typical drama took a good four days to realise that it had to let go of the seat of leader of the opposition. Four days! OK! Fair enough, Maurice Allet admitted that he may not have said in so many words to the MSM leader that he was supporting the MMM but surely Pravind Jugnauth could have telephoned the PMSD leader to clarify the situation?

Did such a simple thing require press conference after press conference to finally come to a conclusion that was known to the rest of us when the PMSD left the Alliance Sociale more than a week ago?

I mean what is wrong with those people?

Don?t they know how to use a phone?

Oh maybe they don?t have each other?s numbers!

I have to admit though that I have gained a better insight into those ?leaders?.

For instance, we now know that members of the MSM ?are not beggars.? We also learnt that Maurice Allet is very sorry he hurt Paul Bérenger when he left the opposition and that he didn?t mean it. Oh and best of all ? that Paul Bérenger can be shy at times. Bless!