In a world often seen as one of hypocrisy and cant, the attitude and principles of Sandra O’Reilly are a breath of fresh air. Resigning from one’s party for feeling a loss of ideology from the party leaders is just unusual and deserves a special mention. With all those politicians who can never honour their promises, the sincerity of her words helps us to believe that a better tomorrow is still possible.

Yet, as she started her career in politics, many might have wondered what she would come up with. In a world where we have become used to “dynasty politics”, her name may have not meant much for many. We all agreed that she had shown much courage in her private life but then? We were sceptical about the contribution she could make in improving the lives of Mauritians…

And then… She gradually showed how straight and honest she was. She never hesitated to fight social injustice and to act for national unity. She never accepted half-measures. She showed – without getting trapped in dangerous clichés – what a woman could bring to a man’s world.

And her recent resignation from her party has only proved all this right. She joined the Parti Mauricien Social Democrate (PMSD) because, “at the time, the PMSD ideology coincided perfectly well with my own convictions.” And she resigned from the same party as soon as she realised that “the PMSD doesn’t have any ideology”. At a time where most politicians are only looking for their own advantage – and leave their party in the mere perspective of having a better personal future, some people, no doubt, find her behaviour almost weird.

Sandra O’Reilly resigned because she could not accept that her party had not expressed its views on such a burning issue as the education reform. She finds the reform is a social injustice and cannot remain silent the more so as many PMSD supporters are against the reform as well. “The willingness of the party to join the government at any cost scares me concerning the future of the PMSD and I do not trust the leadership anymore,” she declared.

Not only has she resigned from her party – where she could have expected a bright future – but neither does she hesitate to criticise her party’s leadership publicly.

As she resigned, people might say she doesn’t have anything to lose anymore and that there is no reason for remaining silent. It is true that many of those who leave their parties do not hesitate to castigate their former leaders and colleagues but this was partly because they were joining another party and had to show that they were definitely no longer part of their former party…

What is amazing is that Sandra O’Reilly clearly says in a weekly last Sunday: “I will not join another political party because I am and I will remain a member of PMSD.” In fact, it is her strong feeling of belonging to her party that “forced” her to leave when she realised that it no longer shared her convictions… or that it no longer had any convictions!

Sir Satcam can rest in peace. Even though they are not from the same political side, there are still people – like him – who do not hesitate to speak the truth and even to “bite the hand that feeds them” to defend their principles…