So finally Pravind Jugnauth and Paul Bérenger have succeeded in vilifying each other in public, with emotional violence, attacks and counter-attacks. Bérenger is disgusted with Pravind?s attitude and the latter feels no better. But why should these ill-feelings crop up now - 8 months after their debacle at the polls and not much earlier?

Pravind wants the MSM to go it alone for the Mayday rally. Bérenger, on the other hand, prefers a common platform of the opposition even if they are not working together. Pravind wants to prove that he is the only alternative to Ramgoolam as the next prime minister of the country. After all, is he not also the son of a prime minister like Navin and more so a Vaish ? Can he not walk to Ganga Talao and to Triolet as well? Is he not as good as Navin in the mastery of the Hindi language?

But unfortunately Bérenger does not see it this way. Ashock Jugnauth seems to be his new mantra. After all, he is the brother of SAJ. He has a better political track record than Pravind. He loves life and is very accommodating. He is not a gossipmonger and certainly not intellectually limited. Finally, he is elected and Pravind is not.

On top of this, Pravind wants to be the last speaker after Bérenger at the joint opposition Mayday rally. This is a SINE QUA NON condition in Pravind?s own words. That?s not enough, he wants Bérenger to name him as the PM of a future MSM/MMM alliance (before 1st May) and for a full five-year term, with Bérenger completely out of the way.

<B>Pravind to go for a long stroll</B>

Of course, confronted with this indecent proposal, Bérenger, the old fox that he is, senses the next ?colourable device?, and counter proposes Ashock Jugnauth as next leader of the opposition and next PM with a role of senior minister in the Lee Kwan Yew style for himself. This leaves Pravind with no choice but to go for a long stroll (?al mars marse?).

Little does Bérenger realise that, by doing so, he is sending the first tremor of a major quake in the MSM and by extension in the Jugnauth dynasty. He is also indicating to the little boy that he does not intend to take the first exit out of local politics. Pravind is obviously not pleased at all to see his personal ambitions being nipped in the bud by Bérenger. He is angry with the latter and especially with Chacha ?A- shock?.

He threatens to oust Bérenger as leader of opposition and plans to appoint his own man (Nando Bodha). At the same time he works tirelessly to isolate Ashock Jugnauth in the party and elsewhere. Finally he goes public with his own version of the (untold) truth, accusing Bérenger of trying to destabilize his party. Meanwhile Bérenger declares that should he be in minority at the National assembly, he would step down as leader of opposition.

Surprise, Surprise! Pravind declares that he has never asked Bérenger to step down and that, despite everything said and done, he will continue to support Bérenger as leader of the opposition in the house. But who on earth did ask Pravind to support Bérenger after so much acrimony and why? What is the real interest of Pravind in pledging support to the vilified?

What is this pathetic game being played at the highest level in the opposition. Where is the interest of the population in all this? Where is the ?PROGRESS MUST CONTINUE? slogan of the MSM/MMM for the 2005 elections? Whose progress did they have in mind then and now? What about the increase in prices, the fall in sugar prices, the blunder of education reform, the outbreak of Chikungunya, the increase of crime, the increasing budget deficit, the lack of direction of the government? Who will denounce all these?

Obviously Navin Ramgoolam should be laughing his way to the bank, with such a disparate opposition. He rules majestically without any challenge and he can allow himself the famous ?right to excess? of Gaëtan Duval. He survives in spite of his bluff during the electoral campaign. Some are now saying ?Change life in 100 days, take life after 100 days?. The loser in this saga is none but ?the admirable people? especially the 43% who voted for the MSM/MMM alliance.

There are, however a few lessons to be drawn from this event.

It should not be a secret any more that Bérenger will not run for PM next time. So the lethal communal campaign launched against him will not be repeated by the advocates of ?RAMRAJ? Navin style.

Bérenger is still willing to offer the primeministership to a Hindu, and, above all, to the MSM and from within the Jugnauth family. Not Pravind but Ashock this time.

<B>One-way ticket</B>

For the MMM electorate, Bérenger is not likely to retire from active politics and is not even tempted by the one-way ticket to Le Réduit. So he will always lead the MMM unless and until one of his progeny decides to jump in the fray.

For those Hindu politicians within the MMM, who aspire to become prime minister under the MMM banner like SAJ in 1982, they had better ?al mars marse?, unless Bérenger decides that the formula of year 2000 be repeated in 2010,with two Hindus as prime ministers - one from the MSM and the other from the MMM , sharing power for half a term each, under a new MSM/MMM banner.

Last, but not least, what will happen if Ashock Jugnauth refuses the offer of Bérenger and decides to stay with the MSM after all ? He is as cool and quiet as the Rajasthan marble. Will Bérenger then go after Navin or mend fences with Pravind? Or will he have the courage to promote a Hindu from within his own party? Only time will tell.

Be it as it may, the MMM has enough time (at least four years) to find a solution to its predicament. It cannot leave initiatives to others. MMM leaders have to go back to basics and to the people, in every street, every lane, every village, every town; to listen to the people, talk to them, feel their pulse and think like them. Only then will they regain the lost ground.

Only then will the MMM become the strongest party once again. MMM leaders have to understand that the values for which they stand have not changed, but that times have changed and that consequently they have to adjust to changing times. Otherwise, they may be relegated to the darkness of oblivion from which a come-back might be impossible.

<B>OBSERVER</B>