Giving the nation a new opportunity

The gunshots of small caliber which were fired in the direction of the French Embassy and the Saint Georges Hotel situated at Saint Georges Street in Port Louis in the early morning of Monday 30 May, 2016, constitute a strong signal that Mauritius is not immune to such acts of violence that could have diverse motivations.  What was more disturbing is that graffiti were scribbled on the walls in the vicinity of the incidents. The messages that were conveyed tend to indicate that the perpetrators of the incidents could be influenced by a warped interpretation of Islam. However, as rightly underlined by sociologist Mr. Ibrahim Koodoruth on Radio Plus on Tuesday, there is no need to create a psychosis in the country. “The choice of words by the media is important. If we arouse a culture of fear, the perpetrators of these acts will cry victory. We should reassure the public and we should not disturb the harmony which exists in the society. The country should also reassure foreigners who wish to come here”, said Mr. Koodoruth. In an article published by CNN on September 11,2012, American news icon Mr. Dan Rather, penned a mind-blowing description of terrorism. “Terrorists, by definition, want attention. They commit violent acts to cause fear, terror and disrupt normal life, all in the hope of gaining attention for a cause.” He further referred to a speech delivered by Columbian President Mr. Juan Manuel Santos at that time, in which he cautioned news media, particularly television reporters, against being used and manipulated by terrorists. President Santos had accused the media of serving as a megaphone for these groups (he was in fact referring to rebels), and in doing so, inflating their hold over society. According to Mr. Rather, the Columbian President “was cautioning the local media to report these acts responsibly and with context.” Mr. Dan Rather made a very well thought-out conclusion to his article: “True or not, newsrooms covering terrorism everywhere should do what they can to ensure their reports serve the public and not those committing violent acts.”

'Targeting both the French embassy and Saint George Hotel cannot be a mere coincidence. France has been on the hit list of terror groups. The attack on Paris on 13 November,2015 and the subsequent statements by French resident François Hollande tend to indicate that things are not that simple.'

ISOLATED INCIDENTS OR WELL PLANNED?

It is earnestly hoped that what happened in the early morning is nothing but an isolated incident that has nothing to do with a specific radical group. However, former President of the Republic Mr. Cassam Uteem, who had intervened live on Radio Plus on Tuesday, argued that we should not banalize the incidents that occurred on Monday. He added that we should await the findings of the Police enquiry before drawing a conclusion. "Obviously, these acts could be detrimental to our relations with other countries and negatively affect the economy, particularly the tourism sector”, said the former President. It must be recalled that on 15 February 2002, Mr Cassam Uteem resigned from his function as President of the Republic, after refusing to sign the anti-terrorism bill, namely PoTA. Whether these acts are isolated ones or well-planned, they call for a strong political will to recalibrate actions against such groups or individuals. The statement of the Prime Minister Sir Anerood Jugnauth at the National Assembly on Tuesday was very much appropriate and timely. Sir Anerood Jugnauth was very firm and at the same time he reassured each and everybody regarding national security. “I wish to assure the House and the public at large that Mauritius remains a country where peace and security prevail and that these incidents should not be given disproportionate interpretations.” He also added the following: “(…)I wish to assure the House that I will not allow anybody to play with the stability and harmony prevailing in this country. I warn all lawbreakers, defaulters or mischief players from any quarters that they will be dealt with, in the most serious and severe manner.” So far, the Police have acted in a very prompt way which has led to arrests. More arrests are expected in the hours to come. This is where intelligence plays a crucial role. Instead of spying harmless trade-unionists and tracking opposition members, field intelligence officers should rather use their resources to enable the Police to get these groups or individuals to be cowed. We should bear in mind that it is our economy that is at stake. Targeting both the French embassy and Saint George Hotel cannot be a mere coincidence. France has been on the hit list of terror groups. The attack on Paris on 13 November,2015 and the subsequent statements by French resident François Hollande tend to indicate that things are not that simple. Moreover, hotels are preferred targets of terror groups for two specific reasons: the clients are mostly European or American and these radical groups view hotels as being places for debauchery.

NEW IMPETUS TO THE ECONOMY

What has happened on Monday morning is even more untimely because the country is struggling for a new impetus to its economy. The appointment of  Mr. Pravind Jugnauth as Minister of Finance last week was seen as sign of relief by the private sector. It would appear that the national budget will be presented by mid-July. All hopes are pinned on this new budget. The President’s Speech (Government Programme) following the appointment of the new Lepep Alliance government in December 2014, the 2016 Budget presented by former Minister of Finance Mr. Vishnu Lutchmeenaraidoo and the Vision 2030 presented by the Prime Minister Sir Anerood Jugnauth have all failed to constitute the launching pad of the promised second economic miracle. Mr. Pravind Jugnauth was humble enough to brush aside ambitions to accede to the post of Prime Minister in the short term. Political observer Mr. Lindsay Rivière rightly stated on Radio Plus on Saturday 28 May last that it would not be advisable for the leader of the MSM to skip stages and become the Prime Minister too early. Mr. Rivière insisted that as Minister of Finance, Mr. Pravind Jugnauth is already in a very influential position within the government. As regards the judgment by Chief Justice Mr. Keshoe Parsad Matadeen and Judge Mr. Asraf Caunhye in the appeal of Mr. Pravind Jugnauth in the MedPoint case, the Director of Public Prosecutions Mr. Satyajit Boolell has not yet communicated his decision whether he will appeal or not. L’Express revealed in an article published on Thursday (June2, 2016) that the Independent Commission against Corruption (ICAC) finds itself in a sticky situation as far as 28 cases of conflict of interest are concerned, following the Matadeen/ Caunhye judgment. The same daily recalls that within the legal profession, opinions vary widely on the judgment. Even the leaders of the two main political parties, namely the MMM and the Labour Party concurred with each other on the effects of the judgment. The leader of the Opposition and of the MMM, Mr. Paul Bérenger took the solemn commitment that they would amend the PoCA with the objective of bringing clarity to the legislation and avoiding legal loopholes. The position of the Mouvement Patriotique (MP) on the MedPoint case illustrates the turn-coatism of our politicians. It was a public meeting held in Rivière des Anguilles and presided over by Mr. Alan Ganoo that the MMM revealed the MedPoint scandal, terming it as “le scandale du siècle”. It is amazing how Palestine is struggling for decades to have the right to be called an ‘Etat’ but nobody refers to Palestine as an State. Yet, a few thugs somewhere in the Middle East call themselves Etat Islamique and the whole world, including the UN and the global press, agree to refer to them to an ‘Etat’ or ‘State’, as if legitimizing their right to a State! That is the tough needle that the media has to thread, as Mr. Dan Rather puts it!