Endy Jay
Neophytes in politics do not usually attract much attention, and it takes some time for any of them to make significant impact, positively or negatively. But they did with the outgoing regime.
In a note in these very columns – (Forum, ‘Le Mauricien’, 28/2/2022 – ‘The Final Lap of the Rampage’) -, I attracted attention to the number of neophytes sitting on the Majority benches in the Legislature, twenty in all if my count is right, some thrown at the deep end of Cabinet, others appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS), right away without the least experience of parliamentary procedures, still less the intricacies of government business. Others given posts of responsibility, albeit quasi walkers-on, in a National Assembly ‘new look’, which the deposed Tsar and the ousted Zorro readily turned into a macabre farce. In that same note mentioned above, I expressed the opinion that an unusual number of neophytes was a calculated move, a cunning manoeuvre to assure fealty, indeed fawning, that has allowed ‘lakwizinn’ to reign unchallenged, at its whim and fancy. On connait le reste.
Neophytes, initially presented as ‘burgeoning up-and-comers’, yet some of whom nothing more than ‘vases à fleurs’, occasionally to give ‘signe de vie’ through mediocre interventions, yet to ensure at all times the ‘ayes have it’, others readily threw themselves under the spotlight, not for avowable reasons, being involved in ‘dubious affairs’, getting quickly to know ‘grander lakour’, talking tall, playing to the gallery in the NA, even demonstrating arrogance of the like of ‘mars kantite ki zot anvi’, when people started taking to the streets for justified reasons, (il se reconnaîtra, as one of the neophytes initially dumped on the sideline, then retrieved and allowed to stand again for the last General Elections only to finally end up ‘dan karo-kann’). Quickly these neophytes narrowed the uncertainty we were living in a quasi-dictatorship. Their connivance, albeit indirectly through their silence, kicked off an avalanche of queries as to where we were headed for. Party discipline is one thing, but blind kowtowing often leads to guilt, albeit unwittingly, according to the principle of ‘collective responsibility’.
But the twist of the tale is that of this score of neophytes, some were left on the sidelines for the last elections having to make way for the ousted Tsar’s new ally and a ‘nouvelle vitrine’, supposedly to add new blood to an underperforming squad, a few retrieved and allowed to stand for re-election, some forced to migrate to other constituencies for a variety of reasons but primarily to boost their meagre chances to be re-elected. None succeeded to get through, thus failing to qualify for the hefty pension in the future.
In the early 1990s, SAJ introduced a Pension Scheme for MLAs having served as least two mandates, whatever the duration, a means to get rid of some, in an elegant manner, considered ‘poids lourds’ before the 1995 General Elections. Some in that category in the ruling team were put on the sideline for these elections, lost by another 60–0 anyway, and left with a hefty pension, a manner to reward them for their fealty. The pension further benefited anyone having served two mandates and no longer a member of National Assembly, irrespective of party affiliation.
To come back to the first-timers in the Majority ranks, this is what I wrote in another note (Forum – ‘Le Mauricien’, 22/8/23 – Facts And Reminders’): ‘….. It makes sense to underscore the tendency to target only ‘lakwizinn’ for all our woes, while we tend to forget the abuses and dictatorial tendencies had been rendered possible by the supine surrender by the second knives and other minions sitting on the Majority benches…… They are guilty not for the acts but for connivance through their silence in the face of even outrageous deviations. …. And the price to pay for some first-timers engaged in unqualifiable kowtowing for the sake of retaining the comfort and privileges of sitting on the right side of the Assembly, it will mean additional time to qualify for the hefty pension, if ever they make it in the future. ‘First-timers, one-timers? The smarter ones will understand.’ (End of quote)
Today even the mediocre ones concerned must understand what has been the reward for all their fawning. And they must be kicking themselves, yet with some consolation to see ‘nouvel vitrinn eklate’, new alliance disintegrated and the ousted Tsar on the way to oblivion, and among those ‘dan karo-kann’ in the ranks of the first-timers allowed to stand again are a Chancellor, Ministers and Parliamentary Private Secretaries among others!!! In December 2019, unbeknownst to them, the neophytes boarded a plane that was destined to crash with no survivors.
SAJ had his manner to reward those who stood behind him. The Son for all reward chose a kick in the bum for some, and dragging others into defeat, straight onto the reefs ‘Wakashio-style’, the clear result of his catastrophic mode of governing.
Will the neophytes of the new Majority retain the lesson?