At first sight, Ashok Radhakeessoon’s resignation looks surprising. He had just been re-elected at the head of the Independent Broadcasting Corporation (IBA) and both he and the government had expressed their satisfaction with the outcome. Yet, when the cabinet announced his resignation from the IBA and the Information & Communications Technologies Authority (ICTA) last Friday, it came as a shock.

However, if we look more closely into the issue, this resignation is not really astonishing and looks more like a dismissal. This is at least what’s being suggested in his entourage. It’s true that the government has often expressed its disagreement with Ashok Radhakeessoon’s “too soft” attitude towards private radios. The outgoing president has so far declined to comment on his “decision”. He has only said he intends to go back to his original profession: the Bar.

The real issue in the tension between Paul Bérenger and Ashok Radhakeessoon could well be outside the range of the private radio crisis. It may actually have been more connected with his attitude as head of the ICTA. The views he shared with Pradeep Jeeha, the IT minister, in contradiction with some of the PM’s decisions, may have sounded the death knell for the ICTA president. Three main issues may be at the origin of the conflict: the arrival of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited, the possible increase of France Telecom’s shares in Mauritius Telecom and the “mishandling” of the Outremer Telecom case resulting in an unexpected disconnection.

In view of these recent events, what appears more certain is that Ashok Radhakissoon was in conflict with the government on certain issues. This impression has been strengthened by Dev Erriah’s appointment as new ICTA president. Although the latter insists that his appointment is not “political”, his professional links with the MMM secretary general, Ivan Collendavelloo, cannot be downplayed.

The opposition has always expressed its dissatisfaction with the IBA/ICTA president. The renewal of his contract at the head of both institutions last August was contested by Navin Ramgoolam. The opposition leader made it clear that, for him, Ashok Radhakeessoon wasn’t independent. The prime minister announced that a consensus had not been reached between the president, the opposition leader and himself on the issue. Yet, Radhakeessoon was reappointed as chairman of the IBA.

However, two events in the past weeks seem to have upset the apparent harmony. The IBA president’s “softness” with the private radios was once more taken to task. The latest incident concerned a street interview by Radio Plus on the occasion of the 1st anniversary of Bérenger as prime minister. The latter may not have appreciated some comments from listeners considered as disrespectful towards the PM. Top FM isn’t very popular with the government either. The latter was irritated by “false news” broadcast on an NHDC housing project.

All this inevitably falls under the IBA’s responsibility. After the programme on Radio Plus, some cabinet members even suggested that the radio be closed temporarily as a punishment. However, the IBA, which met to discuss the matter, found the decision disproportionate and decided to submit it to the Complaints Committee before going abroad. But the government considered this was not the right attitude and that the IBA was only trying to “gain some time.”

Moreover, this isn’t the only reproach made to the IBA president. It goes back to February when the PM summoned the private radio directors to express his anger concerning a faux pas in the Oriental languages debate on the air. The PM preferred to deal with the problem himself. A ministerial committee was set up to study the private radios’ behaviour and to see whether the law should be amended to make it more severe. It was even suggested at the time that the PM was looking for a successor to Ashok Radhakeessoon. It remains to be seen why he was re-elected at the head of the IBA if the government was so dissatisfied with his work.

<I>The latest incident concerned a street interview by Radio Plus on the occasion of the 1st anniversary of Bérenger as prime minister. The latter may not have appreciated some commentsfrom listeners.</I>