The postponement of municipal elections until 2006 was almost expected although the prime minister has not made it public yet. He even declared: ?If the electoral list is ready in September 2004, municipal elections will be held this year. If this is not the case, these elections will be held in 2006 as general elections are scheduled for the end of 2005.?

Yet, all the necessary conditions would have been in place to hold the elections this year; the electoral list will be ready in September. Even the division into wards, which could have been used as an excuse, is ready. The elections will nevertheless not occur this year although it is technically possible. The minister of Local government, Prithiviraj Putten, will have to amend the Local Government Act (LGA) to that effect.

Actually, even the opposition does not seem very keen on having elections this year. Untypically it has remained quiet on the issue. It agrees, for once, with the government that municipal elections would be too close to the legislative ones if they were to be held in 2004. They both prefer to concentrate their forces on the general election.

The proposed rural tax may have much to do with the elections being held in 2006. It is a sensitive issue and would have embarrassed the government. Sanjit Kumar Teelock, the former MP and former mayor of Curepipe, explained in an interview: ?If the rural tax is to be introduced, it might stir up popular indignation.?

Improve living conditions

Moreover, the provision of amenities and trained staff to the regions that have just been given the status of municipalities has also to be solved before the next elections. If the latter are postponed, the minister of Local government will have more time to fulfil these goals.

The Local Government Act also plans to increase the representation of small villages within the new municipalities. A committee, chaired by minister Lesjongard and composed of ministers Bachoo, Bodha, Jeeha and Bhagwan, will soon make public its conclusions.

Meanwhile, an outline of the division into wards has already been submitted to the cabinet. After it is published in the Government Gazette, any review of the boundaries will have to be made within six weeks.

A former district council president believes that living conditions in rural areas have to be improved and that time must be given to the government to achieve this. ?It is not a question of electoral success.? He thinks that the most important is the population?s well being.