It is interesting to note that Mr Sithanen is already appealing to whoever to sell foreign currencies(assets) and buy back Mauritian rupees. As I predicted Mr Sithanen?s so-called "piqûres" for the economy is proving to accelerate the demise of the Mauritian economy and Mauritians are being led like lambs to the slaughter-house. All the tax-breaks that Mr Sithanen just gifted to the wealthy just went into buying foreign assets which is ironic in that the beneficiaries themselves do not believe in his reforms if they are selling off the Mauritian currency! If he thinks that an appeal is all it takes to change people?s mind, then I am afraid that he must also believe in fairies and angels.

The consequence of this is that the Bank of Mauritius must either raise interests rates and in the process risk damaging the economy further or let the rupee slide to help exports but invite one more round of price increases for rice,flour , oil and gas and other imported commodities which in other words will further reduce the buying power of the middle and low-income Mauritian families - the net effect is no different than raising taxes or reducing the paycheque of the average Mauritian.

Mr Sithanen states that he is going to attract foreigners to invest in Mauritius, but I am at a loss to understand how creating chamber-maid and porters jobs and other low-paying scrap jobs are going to propel us into a first-world country like Dr Ramgoolam rhetorically asserts. The good doctor should make sure that his nurse has the right medicine in his syringe before he administers it to his Mauritian patients!

Dr Ramgoolam talks about "demagogie". I found his remarks about the gentleman or woman who owns eight campements just that - Should it not be more relevant that these campements have been legitimately earned and purchased than worying about if it is just or not that someone owns that many properties. Is it not morally wrong to own one campement that has been earned through trickery and influence peddling than to own eight campements that have been earned lawfully? Should we legislate a limit to success if it is earned righteously? On the same note how much property and wealth do the members of parliament own?

Should we in Mauritius not know as to who is getting paid what when the Government names a commission and should we not have a say as who gets the jobs in these commissions - should the Government be allowed to pick defeated candidates at the last elections for example? Who goes on missions abroad and for what benefits to the tax-payer and how much does it cost?

If we are asked to buckle-up, and times are tough and we need reforms, let reforms come everywhere-

From electoral and political financing reforms to public accountability for all elected officials.I am convinced we are at a crossroad in the nation we call our own and it is time for the people to demand their own commission, the ?People?s Commission? or a ?Manifesto of the Mauritian People?.

The water-stained colors of foreigners in shining armor that Mr Sithanen dreams of from the promised land of mirages will ride only if they can enslave us to their ways.Make no mistake that they will mercilessly exact their pound of flesh from the poorest of our poor. The big international companies move only to find cheap labor that they can no longer find within their own borders. They are not choir-boys who move to foreign countries because they are on a humanitarian mission! To believe the "Demagogie" that we shall come out of this mess in 18-24 months is just wishful thinking. Whoever tells the Mauritian people this line should be asked to put it in writing and to be accountable for it. It is far too easy to experiment on the people and to just fly away when things do not work out without any consequences whatsoever.

So get busy all of us who vote and prepare our Manifesto for the next election and tell our politicians that we are not willing to compromise again or ever. If Mr Sithanen can copy what works in other countries to suit his own prejudices, may be we can copy all the other things that empower us the people and safe-guard our interests and protect us from injustice, corruption and all the other maladies that has been afflicting our society ever since we can remember. In the end let us be proud to be Mauritians and I borrow this from Rabindranath Tagore ? ?I shall be born in Mauritius again and again and despite its wretchedness, poverty and all, I like Mauritius best.?

Dr. Bheemdev MEETARBHAN (Canada)