● Central Bank celebrates ? For its 40th anniversary, the Bank of Mauritius is holding a series of activities. The celebrations will be spread over four months and will be marked by the launching of several new projects. Besides the arrival of the new Rs 20 coin, there will be a competition where young people will have to create designs for new bank notes. An public information campaign will be launched and talks held in schools on the role of the Central bank.

● Training for the NCG ? The Indian Coast Guard ship will be in Mauritius until Wednesday 29thAugust. The Samar, which the public had the opportunity to visit yesterday, is in Mauritius for joint training and interaction sessions with the National Coast Guard. The exercises will be about oil spill response demonstration, search and rescue operations including air research by helicopter, boarding operations and others.

● Why did the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) boycott the last parliamentary session of the ?term? last Friday?

They wanted to show their disagreement with the appointment of Angidi Chettiar at the post of vice-president. They even proposed the name of former Chief Justice, Ariranga Pillay, as he had often stood in for the president when he was in post.

● What are the reproaches made to the ?former-new? vice-president?

The MMM leader, Paul Bérenger, was already uncomfortable with the appointment of Angidi Chettiar but he said he couldn?t accept the recent declarations made by him. Paul Bérenger declared the new vice-president openly talked of ?my party, my government? while he is supposed to be a neutral personality. The fact was that Angidi Chettiar said that the Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota) targeted a specific community.

● What about the Militant Socialist Movement?

Although the party also disagreed with the choice of the government, it nevertheless went to Parliament but the opposition leader made it clear that it was ?under protest?. There are several reasons for their disagreement including the ?Pota case?. Moreover, the party members find it ?discourteous? that Angidi Chettiar openly said he wanted to become president while there is already a president in post. The absence of the Labour Party in Parliament when Sir Anerood Jugnauth was appointed is another reason for their discontent.