Politics never stops springing surprises on this ‘plaisir’ country. After the feelings of disgust which the people vented out as a result of the so-called discussions between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition on electoral reform – discussions which centred more on how these two persons were going to share executive power in what could have been a major constitutional change without any public consultations or a constitutional assembly, we could have been spared the vitriolic of their speeches. In fact they were under an obligation to make public all the notes of their meetings in the public interest and for the sake of openness and transparency.

The opacity which permeates those discussions is unpatriotic. It is fine for the leaders to say that the votes of the MMM are required for any amendment to the constitution but the fact remains that the leaders have decided for the nation. Surely that cannot be right and the statements of the Prime Minister that Hon Berenger controls the MMM buttresses this point.

In all countries that undertake major Constitutional changes a Constituent assembly is set up and its task is not to adopt what the leaders of political parties decide but to conduct work in the public interest and, after the work is completed, to submit it to the people’s verdict by way of a Referendum. No one has the right to claim to be the owner of the country. But the leaders seem to be oblivious to the need to involve the people in their designs. They know that no one can unsettle them from their pedestal as those who are with them are afraid that raising any doubts about the leaders’ decisions will incur the latter’s wrath resulting in the non-obtention of a ticket. Dynastic and monarchical politics is the outcome.

All the main political leaders have shown their capacity to burn those they were in talks or alliance with while at the same time expressing their willingness to forget and forgive… until the next time. It has become so ingrained in the minds of the leaders of political parties that the people are ‘bouffons’ and will continue to follow them like sheep even when the sheep are being led to the slaughter house.

The leaders of the unmade Remake are the champions of slandering each other, calling each other a liar or yoyo and airing in public what should never have been aired. Needless to say, each claims a higher moral ground when what emerges from their statements is self-interest and the protection of those who are dear and near. The national interest takes a back seat and no one bothers. The leader of the MMM claims that his programme consists, as a matter of priority, of cleaning the country of corruption and he is still ready to sit down and work out an electoral deal with the Labour Party. And such men purport to espouse a high degree of moral rectitude!

It would be interesting to know what the leaders really think of each other and how much they hate. Recently a journalist in Moscow asked President Putin whether he would save President Obama if he was drowning. President Obama was visiting South Korea recently and he was asked the question about whether he would save President Putin if the latter was drowning. Both Presidents answered that they would save the other from drowning.