Has the Mouvement Socialiste Militant (MSM), depressed by the last political poll and rumours of a rapprochement with Labour been reassured by the crowd present at its 21st anniversary congress last Sunday? According to secretary general Nando Bodha, the congress was ?a real success?, a sign of ?mobilisation, fervour and enthusiasm.? And most observers comment that the 3 000 supporters present were definitely above the party?s own expectations.

This celebration was an opportunity for the party to reassert its strategic importance despite the December by-election of Piton-Rivière-du-Rempart where Prakash Maunthrooa was defeated by the Labour candidate.For leader Pravind Jugnauth, the mobilisation proves that his party cannot be ?written off?.

Prakash Maunthrooa, the new administrative secretary general, wants to inspire the party with new dynamism. He has worked on a report on the past by-elections, which should come out next Saturday. It deals with strengthening the party structures, recruiting new members and improving communication.

This congress marked Pravind Jugnauth?s first year as party leader. He made it a point to clarify that he has his own leadership style and he is far from being the puppet his opponents describe. The crowd cheering him, however, was a reminder that the leader?s speech was addressed to a committed audience, made of ardent MSM supporters, who do not even need to be convinced.

Yet, the young leader elaborated on his father?s achievements and hardly spoke of his own projects. It seems that the party is still in the shadow of Sir Aneerood Jugnauth, the former MSM leader and founder. With only one year?s experience as leader, Pravind Jugnauth may not be confident enough to speak of his own achievements. As he pointed out himself, he is the country?s youngest leader.

His speech was merely a summary of the themes already tackled in his previous public speeches. The public also expected that he would give comments on the rumours of a possible alliance between the MSM and the Labour party. Although the party vigorously denies any possibility of this, political observers are talking of a rapprochement between the parties.

According to some sources, there are MSM MPs who are dissatisfied with the present alliance with the Mouvement Militant Mauricien (MMM). They believe that MMM leader and prime minister Paul Bérenger is always in the forefront and that there is no room for their party anymore. They may have the impression that he does not take their proposals into consideration. Moreover, they panicked after the Labour party victory in the December by-election and do not want to face such a defeat once more.

However, the MSM leader himself implicitly denied any new alliance. He gave the guarantee that he will go to the next elections with his present partner. And, as if to prove that there will be no alliance, he kept on vigourously attacking the Labour party and its leader, Navin Ramgoolam. He said the leader was conducting a demagogic and communal campaign and reminded his audience that he left the country in a disastrous state in 1995.