MAB'S technical report on iron bars (which report agrees with Desbro's requests) was ready on 4th March only to be released to Parliament/press/public after Desbro was sold to a South African firm on 3 April (as reported by l?express on 17.4.2007 and 18.4.2007). This coincidence of events has the potential of doing huge damage to free-trade in this country, vis-à-vis EU, WTO and other supporters of free and fair trade in the world. No doubt whatsoever that an elected representative who accepts a post of minister in government has to defend national interests before those of a foreign firm or state. No one will disagree with that! If all this is true as reported, a minister from the sovereign State of Mauritius may have been responsible for the loss of Mauritian jobs, for Mauritian families becoming destitute and for a bona fide Mauritian firm having to close shop, being unable to ply fair trade, with a reasonable profit-margin. This is tantamount to unpatriotic behaviour, to disloyalty. All this coming after previously-reported mis-governances concerning the import of milk, cement, iron bars. One honourable outcome for the holder: resign, to restore his dignity! And, to repair the damage done, spend of his personal means and time to rehabilitate those 200 who have lost their jobs! Unless, like Wolfowitz at the WB, he chooses to stay in power a little longer, in which case the damage to our image will simply aggravate.

Dr Michael ATCHIA

P.S. May I quote from one of our documents of April 1982 (actualised in two articles this week by Yvan Martial in his chronicle Il y a 25 ans. ?Action Civique sketches the profile of the ideal GM?, 16 April 1982) ?The ideal GM will, at regular intervals, account for its management. In no case whatsoever, will it act as the owner of Mauritius, which belongs sovereignly to the whole of the Mauritian population.?

Twenty-five years ago, a letter such as the above would have been doubly hard, plus a follow-up till the general elections! Today with our rich and free multi-media others will no doubt take over the follow-up.