<B>Usurpation de fonctions publiques</B>

L?express a, depuis longtemps déjà, attiré l?attention de ses lecteurs sur le fait que la Constitution de Maurice ne prévoit qu?un seul poste de vice-Premier ministre et qu?un Attorney General, non élu, ne peut occuper un poste de ministre.

L?arrêt de la Cour suprême ne fait que réaffirmer ce que toute personne ayant déjà lu la Constitution ne pouvait ignorer.

Quoi qu?il en soit, cet arrêt place le DPP dans une situation embarrassante. Il devra, en son âme et conscience, considérer si les Honorables membres visés ne tombent pas sous le coup de l?article 182 du Code pénal qui se lit :«Quiconque, sans titre, se sera immiscé dans des fonctions publiques, civiles ou militaires, ou aura fait des actes d?une de ces fonctions, sera puni de l?emprisonnement, sans préjudice de la peine de faux, si l?acte porte le caractère de ce crime».

<B>L. Robert AHNEE</B>

<B>?Beaten up by bouncers?</B>

17.40, 28 August 2008, the worst day of my life and of my friends too? Three of my friends got beaten up by eight bouncers in a parking in Quatre-Bornes.

We are only 22-23 years students, 2nd and 3rd year, we have life in front of us, but still people beat us up for no reason. We were three girls and six boys from a highly respected private institute in Quatre-Bornes. We were coming out of a pub after a fresher?s party (11.55-19 hours) organized for new comers of our institution when the eight bouncers attacked us. Actually, we were going to get inside our cars, and suddenly they came out of nowhere.They started swearing at us and being girls we were trembling out of fear. They were kind of big man, well dressed in suits, they started slapping one of our friends, we were all astounded and we shouted at what he did. One of them said ?to croire to mari to coz fort? (I can assure you that none of my friends ever raised his voice against them) and they started beating up everyone. They spared only two boys and the girls (but they were looking at us as if they wanted to strip us). We, girls panicked and cried as we knew our friends had not done anything wrong or ?pane pran nissa r persone?. So why? Why were these guys trashing our friends. We were on the 3rd floor of the parking, we shouted for help but could not see anyone, not even the security guard who was on the 3rd floor. Therefore one of the bouncers said ?bourer avan pill pill lor zot laa, banla pou kas zot L***??, we got inside the car and drove away. 18.03: Quatre-Bornes police station. We went to the police but we were told that they could not do anything and it would be better to come back with a ?Form 58?. Therefore, we went to the hospital? I would like to voice out to all of you: why did they beat us? What was our fault? These bouncers are kind of ?metteur la loi in Quatre-Bornes?, they just beat people and nobody cares. Should someone get killed before anybody reacts? These bouncers have big contacts; it is not the first time that they are beating up students.

<B>Victims</B>

<B>An act of sheer discrimination</B>

This morning I read from one of the national newspapers that the Prime Minister is contemplating on renewing the mandate of Sir Anerood Jugnauth (SAJ) as President. If that is the case, I think SAJ will be eating the humble pie. I still remember that when I was on holiday in Mauritius in the year 2000 prior to the general elections, I attended a political meeting at Mahebourg near the market. SAJ belittled Dr Navin Ramgoolam. He said that when the late Sir Seewoosagar Ramgoolam was alive he told him never to pave the way for Dr Navin Ramgoolam to be involved in politics because he is unreliable, incompetent and above all a play boy. Today SAJ?s luck has changed. Will be he licking his wound? It appears that apart from SAJ there are no other competent and educated men or women among the other ethnic minorities; particularly the Telegus, Maratis and Chinese community. What makes SAJ so special? I believe this is an act of sheer discrimination. Other communities deserve to be equally treated under the sun. In the run up to the Independence, I remember that we were promised of a fair an equitable society. Was it mere a rhetoric or an empty promise? To be honest things have not changed much compared to what it was before during the Primeministership of the late SSR. Only a handful of prominent families are enjoying the benefits of a long and hard struggle for independence. I suppose nobody can deny this.

I suppose the Paul Berenger was right when he said ?le people Mauricien ene people formidable ça?. Yes, they are tolerant and docile. To tell you the truth these sorts of things will never be tolerated in countries where people know their civil rights.

<B>S. MOTI SEECHURN </B> <I>London</I>