<B> Babajee Vyanish (Student Power) </B>

● <B> Why should students vote for your party? </B>

They have been very active on the campus, have put pressure when needed, and have supported the Students? Council (SC) for projects we thought important. We are very much ?lor terrain?.

● <B> Why should students vote for you as the next president of the SC? </B>

Students know me as someone who is kind and helpful. I have proved this more than one time on the campus. Some other students know me as the president of the Raised Club. I must point out that some people have wrongly tagged the Raised Club, which is here to combat communalism and bring together the different communities on the campus. For example, this year, we went to Grand Bassin during the Maha Shivratree festival to distribute food and refreshments to pilgrims. We never give up our role of unifier. We must also not forget that 2 years back, the Voice of Hindu came to the campus and the Unity Club was set up. I was against that and when they had their meeting, I went there to tell that such a meeting, where there were only hindus, is not allowed on the campus. One Muslim and one Christian were refused access, for obvious reasons.

● <B> What qualities do you think you have to take the post of president of the SC? </B>

I am a calm person who takes his time to observe and see what can be done. It does not mean that I will answer a slap by a slap. There are other means of dealing with violence. I prefer not take hasty decisions and try to see the problem from different angles and restrain myself from criticising blindly. I make sure that I know what I am talking about.

● <B> What weaknesses could hinder your work as president? </B>

I am not a ?beau parleur?, that is when I talk in front of an audience, I tend to remain very serious and this, I know, is boring. Some people say ?mone vine grand noir? because I no longer spend enough time with them. But I am only busy with the election campaign.

● <B> There has been much debate about political financing on the campus. How did your group manage the costs and what are the different communication tools that you have used? </B>

This campaign has not cost us more than Rs10,000 because this year, we have limited ourselves to pamphlets and banners, in line with the governmental campaign ?décollé, pa collé?. We have preferred painting our banners ourselves instead of printing as the other groups. We have contributed among ourselves to collect a fund and it was a minimum of Rs 500 per candidate.

● <B> On your pamphlets are the name and logo of an IT company. Were you funded or sponsored by others who might ask for something in return? </B>

No. It is a friend who works at that company who designed our pamphlets and he put the logo and name thereon, that?s all. We paid for the printing and we were not funded by any other parties.

● <B> Were the Faculty Representatives representing your party chosen because they are wealthy students who can finance the elections? </B>

No. They were chosen because of their experience in their respective fields and because they had the will and determination. The Fac Reps are also good communicators and they have a proven track record. The candidate we are proposing for the Faculty of Agriculture stood as independant candidate last year. He proposed some very good points that would improve students? welfare on the campus. One of them was to repair defective toilet door knobs. Even if this seems negligible, it is nevertheless important.

● <B> You mentioned that as the president of Raised Club, you prone unity. But there is no Christian candidate in your group. Was it because they are minority ? </B>

We have many followers from the Christian community and we thought of having Christian candidates but they preferred giving their anonymous support to us. In fact, religion is not a criterion to be candidate in our group and our christian friends are aware of that.

● <B> If you come to power, you will not be able to accomplish every single point in your manifesto because of time and financial constraints. What will be the priorities? </B>

It would be to increase sitting accommodation. There is an acute lack of benches and chairs on the campus and the number of students has increased. Students eat, standing around trees or near the cafeteria. It is also important to know how the SC functions. There are different committees and the SC appoints its members in these. Now, it happens that decisions taken in one committee are brought forward to other committees for the development to take place. And it also happens that these committees meet once every three weeks. This explains the delays. I can assure students that if we win the elections, we will initiate the big projects so that they crystallise.

● <B> Tell us five of the proposals that, if you are elected, will crystallise by the end of your one year mandate? </B>

First, increase sitting accommodation. Second, we want lecturers to do special tutorials during the revision week. Third, all students who do social work will get a certificate, which will be a plus in their CV which we will teach them to draw up. Fourth, the organisation of job fairs faculty wise so that students from, say, the Faculty of Agriculture don?t feel neglected. Finally, there is the E-booklet project and it can be done only with all stakeholders of the university. We are proposing to offer the reserve books, for example, online so that students can access them at home by inputting their ID numbers. This will reduce queuing up at the library.

<B> Jissury Avishkaar (Student Welfare)

● Based on what should students vote for you? </B>

We formed this group to break away from the thinking that the Student?s Council (SC) can do this and that. Our party will show what we can achieve or not, what can be done or not. Our group wants to show the new face of unity among students?. If something cannot be done, we?ll say it but at the same time try to bring solutions.

● <B> Why should your party choose you as President, in case you win the elections? </B>

I am very much a popular figure on the campus. Recently, I was the President of the Sports Club and I wanted to organise a football league during holidays. I sent my proposal to the sports committee and ?pa kone ki mardaye inn deroule? but they told me that it cannot be done. I think that there is problem at this level within the union. If you are not from their side, they don?t back your projects. I think who ever wins the election, it is important to put our differences away and work for students welfare.

● <B> What qualities do you think you have to shoulder the responsibilities of the President? </B>

A president must be calm and humble. Most importantly, he must view all students equally. Even if they did not support him in the elections. The leadership aspect is also important because the president must be able to regroup all students around him. I think I have these qualities.

● <B> What are the weaknesses that might prevent you from doing your duties? </B>

The fact that I always take into consideration what others have to say can be a weakness. Sometimes, people take undue advantage of it and try to mislead me. But once I get to know the truth, ?tout dressé?. This would be my main weakness. I think that everyone learns from past mistakes and I don?t repeat mistakes.

● <B> How did your party finance the campaign and what were the communication tools you used? </B>

We have used banners and flyers and, to fund that, we have contributed among ourselves.

● <B> How much did the campaign cost you? </B>

Do I say the exact figure?

● <B> Yes. </B>

Between Rs 17,000 and Rs 20,000.

● <B> What explains your choice of candidates as Fac Reps? </B>

Based on their qualities. In fact, at the university more than three quarters of the students come from middle class families. Our choice was motivated by the fact that they are ?lor terrain? and that they know the problems in their respective faculties. They also have the will to improve students? life on campus.

● <B> If père Grégoire sees your list of candidates, he might be frustated because there are no Christians in your group, especially at a time when he is talking of discrimination vis-à-vis the creole community. Why is it the case? </B>

Because our Christian friends were not willing to stand as candidates, even if they were always there to help us. Had someone from that community agreed to stand as candidate, we would have no problem with that. And we also believe that what counts is not the ethnic representation, but the quality of the candidate.

● <B> You propose NTA bus pass for unemployed part-timers? Is it feasible? Every party that came to power till date has promised that and nothing has been done. </B>

Many unemployed part-timers come to us with the grief that they don?t work and that they have to pay the bus fare. On the other side, the university administration understands that part-timers work and they don?t need bus passes. There is a vacuum at this level. If we come in power, we will fight for this.

● <B> Concretely, tell us five points that, if you are elected, we will see at the end of your mandate at the university? </B>

Even if it seems that we have a long list of proposals, it is relatively less than those of the other parties. Our aim would be to tackle priority issues faculty wise.

● <B> Tell us the five points. </B>

Sitting accommodation is our priority.

Then we shall make sure that there are more buses for the students because we know there is a big transport problem. At the same time we will look into the bus pass issue.

Third point would be to place competent members in the library committee who will, after every three months, explain what books have been recommended, what books have been added to library and the existing ones. Because we don?t really know what books are there on the shelves.

Fourthly, we will publish all expenses. It is now more than three years that I am on the campus and till date, I don?t know how my annual contribution of Rs 200 is spent.

Fifth point will be to set up a radio on the campus which will be managed by an independent team and which will bridge the communication gaps.

● <B> So your team is engaging itself to accomplish these five points if it is elected? </B>

Yes, because these are within the capacity of the SC.

<B> Basant Lallah (Students? Rights)

● Why should students vote for your party? </B>

Our team was not set up only for election purposes. We are very active persons on the campus. In fact we have organised many events at the university. Our motto is to work for students? rights.

We have noted that year in year out, the manifestos of all parties are more or less the same. We have banked more on our candidates? potential.

● <B>Now why should students vote for you as President? </B>

I have always been present by the side of students and last year I was member of the Students? Council (SC). A proof of my dedication to social work is the fact that I am the runner up of the Young Oustanding Person of the Year.

Recently my friends and I have labs and job fairs and it is me who introduced sponsorship at the university.

● <B> What qualities do you think you have to be President? </B>

Leadership skills. One example of my leadership skill can be noticed within the Information Society. The society has always been on the forefront with events and this thanks to that quality that I have. In my opinion if a person cannot run a club, then he must forget about the presidency of the SC.On the national level i was among the pioneers of the Salon Infotech. I have also been able to attract many sponsors to the university.

● <B>What weaknesses do you think you have? </B>

You must rather ask this question to students. If I had weaknesses, I would not have stood as candidate.

● <B> Does it mean that you have no weaknesses? </B>

It is not about weaknesses, it?s rather about one team working together towards accomplishing something. And everyone has his say because everyone is equal.

● <B>There has been much debate on the campus recently on political financing. How did you organise the promotional tools you used and how much did your campaign cost globally? </B>

The campaign has not been very expensive.

● <B>How much? </B>

I cannot say the figures but...

●<B> Why? </B>

It has not been much, maybe around Rs 15000. As you will see it is less than what the opposing parties spent. The reason behind the low cost can be explained by the fact that I am in events since 3 years ( I have organised the Divali Show, the Talent Show) and I have some contacts with a printing body.

● <B> What?s the name of the printing company? </B>

I cannot say it?s name here. It works with us nearly every month. Since we have been working together for some time, the price of our big banner, for example, was halved.

● <B>What are the other promotional tools you used? </B>

Pamplets and ?achievements?. We want students to vote for us based on what we have been able to achieve till date and this is showcased in the ?achievements?. Normally we print more than 500 posters each year but since posters have been banned this year, we have opted for a bigger banner.

● <B> What explains your choice of the Faculty Representatives? Did the money factor play a role in decison-making? </B>

It?s not about finance. We have a policy in our group which states that everyone should contribute Rs 1,500. So everyone contributes Rs 1,500.

For example the Engineering Fac Rep stood as candidate last year and he lost. But he had some very interesting projects. This explains why we have chosen him. Another example is Beatrice. She has been very helpful in organising events and helping students in her faculty. One common denominator is their readiness to help needy students.

● <B>An analysis of the candidates of your group reveals that there are 7 Hindus, 1 muslim and 2 Christians. Why this equation? </B>

Really? I did not know. In fact we have never looked at our choice under this angle and there is no equation. We have chosen them based on their merits.

● <B> The contrast here is eye catching because your opponents don?t have Christian candidates. </B>

You must have noticed that the Christian population is relatively small and this shows that we have not taken that criterion into consideration.

● <B>Last question: what will be your achievements by the end of your one year mandate, if you are elected of course? </B>

One year is a limited time span but we have some priorities for example: a) publish accounts, b) change door of SC office to facilitate communication.It must also be reminded that many of what is proposed have already been initiated. Our primary goal is to accomplish everything listed in the manifesto.

<B> Interviews by Yaveen Yr3 Communication Studies. </B> [email protected]