Interview: Kugan Parapen
The MTC-GRA tussle was inevitable
When you pour millions behind a political alliance, you expect your agenda to be fulfilled
* ‘governments since independence have been the ‘sirdars’ of the ruling economic class.
If we dissect the anatomy of victorious electoral alliances down the years, we will find that most, if not all of them, surfed on populist measures’
* ‘Mauritius now boasts the highest income per inhabitant in Africa. Does the population feel rich? Do civil service officers feel rich? Do pensioners feel rich?’
Kugan Parapen needs no introduction as an outspoken activist on several fronts and one of the leading economic voices of Resistans ek Alternativ (REA). The party’s views on economic development priorities, its long challenge of the communal descriptors in our electoral system, are well recognized and he carried a honourable 4% of votes at the November 2017 by-election in Belle-Rose/Quatre-Bornes constituency. We invited him to share his views on the state of the country and government when the atmosphere is loaded with disenchantment, social turmoil and economic uncertainties, and, as expected, he minces not his words
Mauritius Times: There are a lot of hot issues at the moment. There are those relating to energy and the CEB-Terragen conflict, the MTC-GRA tussle about the organisation of horse racing, the rising cost of living and public discontent, the controversy surrounding the deportation of a Slovak national… all of which the government is having to grapple with without a break. We do not know why all this is happening now, but the government seems determined so far not to give way. What is your reading of what’s actually happening, and the government’s response to them?
Kugan Parapen: Of the multiple issues you mention, there is a distinction that can be made. The energy crisis, the rise in the cost of living and the growing public discontent are part and parcel of the ongoing economic crisis. On the other hand, the MTC-GRA tussle about the organisation of horse racing is not related to the rest and has more to do with politics, or rather cronyism. Lastly, the deportation of a Slovak national is another reminder of the erosion of democratic principles in Mauritius. Aggregated together, we have an overall picture of our society in a nutshell. Read More… Become a Subscriber
Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 13May 2022
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