by Nicholas RAINER

We?re in for a feast. Indeed, the beginning of the new parliamentary session was greeted by two leaders in smashing form. Beyond their inherent animosity, it transpired that Navin Ramgoolam and Paul Bérenger respect each other in the same way heavyweight boxers do. Labour might not have obtained the three-quarters majority that it demanded but it has a strong mandate nonetheless. The opposition, after having been chastened by its electoral defeat, is looking sprightlier than ever. It might still be early days but this balance of power augurs well for the country.

Navin Ramgoolam was erudite and focused. One could even say scholarly. He pored lengthily over his response to Paul Bérenger?s amendment proposal and succeeded in formulating a well-articulated exposé on the nuance between a constitutional convention and a custom. The result was interesting, to say the least. He also convincingly asserted that the tradition of proposing a motion of thanks to the president was an anachronism that Mauritius had inherited from colonial times.

The leader of the opposition, on the other hand, demonstrated the kind of steely patience and resolve that had eluded him during his stint as prime minister. He remained steadfast in the face of repeated taunts both from members of the old guard, such as Madan Dulloo, and from the belligerent novice Nita Deerpalsing. Paul Bérenger seemed fresher than he had been for a long time, which intimates that he?ll be giving the government a run for their money during the next few years. His oratory skills have lost none of their sharpness. Yet, despite his vocal support for the president, it seems, by the increasingly loud chorus demanding the latter's resignation, that his time at Le Réduit is running out.

One thing is sure. The current Labour government is not the same as the one that came to power in 1995. It has matured and seems, for the time being, sincere about its promises of creating a brighter future for everyone. Admittedly, it?ll need more than sincerity if it is to be successful in this undertaking. Competence and vision are equally of paramount importance. The Labour government seems to possess these, even if many of the measures they have proposed are strikingly inchoate.

The freshness of the first hundred days will soon give way to the hard slog of the rest of the mandate. Five years is a long time and the government will need to draw deep into its reserves of mettle and innovativeness if it is to steer the country to sunnier climes. The executive will have to adopt a holistic approach if it is to extricate Mauritius not only from its current economic predicament, but also from an identity crisis that is threatening to unsettle the delicate social balance.

Let us not forget that politicians will not be able to heal all of our ills. If they were in possession of such abilities we would have known about it a long time ago. Thus, the brightness of the future also hinges on the nation?s ability to stick its heart and mind together. It?s time for everyone ? the people, the government and the opposition ? to pick up a share of the load and go forward, together. It?s that simple, really.