It is so easy to criticise when you are in opposition; all politicians do it and Mr Bérenger was the acknowledged expert during his many years in opposition. He galvanised public opinion like no politician has managed since independence and the MMM would have easily elected all its candidates in the early seventies had the elections not been so undemocratically postponed for another five years. Remember the wave of euphoria and excitement when Dev Virahsawmy annihilated the Labour Party candidate at the Triolet byelection, a constituency where the Labour Prime Minister was king?

How did the MMM become so popular so soon after its formation? History shows us that,whether by intent or fortuitously, three main tactics were used:1. Exploit the undoubted oratorical skills and attractive personality of its leaders to the maximum. 2. Put forward a manifesto that is populist and diametrically opposed to the policies of the government. 3. Mock mercilessly the incompetent ministers and make them figures of ridicule. Add an enormous amount of hard work by the leaders and you end up with an unbeatable combination.

Mr Ramgoolam is making a poor attempt at copying these tactics and has the unfortunate habit of letting his frequent travel arrangements disrupt the work that he should be doing. Plus ça change?

The questions posed in your editorial regarding Ramgoolam are pertinent and opportune. He has said nothing of note regarding any policies he would implement should he become Prime Minister again. His excuse for talking in ge-neralities rather than specifics is because he does not want the MMM-MSM government to filch his ideas! As an excuse, it is original and is the only example I can think of where the faint possibility of theft is the perfect cover for intellectual vacuity!

Ramgoolam says he will ?democratise? the economy. How? By nationalisation, thereby making the ?people? own the means of production? Obviously not, as Marxism has failed everywhere. So what exactly does he mean by democratisation of the economy? I am afraid the answer is a particularly contemptible and dishonourable one; it is intrinsically linked to race and, in particular, to the epidermal characteristics of the Prime Minister. Make no mistake:the next elections will not be fought on policies but shamefully on whose skin makes him the best ethnically representative leader.

The race card is the only one left for Ramgoolam to play. He had five years in power and he did nothing to ?democratise? the economy; he was happy to hobnob with the ?white exploiters? during his mandate and saw nothing wrong with the accumulation of wealth in a few people?s hands. So what has changed now? Nothing. It is simply a cheap way to get votes by appealing to peoples? prejudices.

Every opposition comments vociferously on the extent of corruption amongst those in power and when elected does exactly the same as the previous government. So I have listed a few questions which I hope Mr Ramgoolam will answer so that the electorate can decide whether he can be trusted again:

1. Will you legislate within your first 100 days in power for a register to record in full the assets in Mauritius and abroad of all members of the Legislative Assembly and senior Civil Servants? At a stroke,this would soften the general perception that all Mauritian politicians are thieves who become richer when elected to office.

2. Will you formulate legislation for a Freedom of Information Act so that the public who voted you to power can have ready access to information regarding your stewardship of the country and its economy? For example, as taxpayers we pay the obscenely high salaries of many individuals and provide them with even more obscene expense allowances. Surely, we must have the right to know how much we are paying these people as it is our money. There is no such thing as government money: it is the money of the people, not of the politicians we put in office.

3. What will you do with the limousines that you have (rightly) criticised the government for buying? Are you going to glide smoothly in the current Prime Minister?s car if you come to power?

4. Will you publish how much taxpayers? money is wasted on providing police protection for politicians? More to the point,will you tell us why you wonderful politicians need to be protected at our expense from us? Or do you all suffer from delusions of grandeur as soon as the electoral results are made official?

5. Will you provide full details of the costs of each political ?mission? abroad? Not even James Bond goes on as many missions as Mauritian politicians! Again,we are the taxpayers, it is our money, so tell us!

I have so many more specific questions to ask you, Mr Ramgoolam, but I?ll wait to see if you show me the courtesy of replying to the five above first. I promise you I won?t pinch them for my manifesto (which you say is your biggest fear). Can?t vouch for the government, though !

R.A.J.