Paul Raymond Berenger, his last chance or his last mistake ?

PRB, Last chance or Loser again ?
by GDL




Paul Raymond Berenger is now 70 years old and has been in politics for nearly 50 years. He started very young while a student in Europe. In the seventies he introduced left wing politics to Mauritians and many young ones followed his ideological path. He founded the Movement Militant Mauricien and became the leader. He first stood for general elections in 1976 when his party won the most seats but lost government. While in opposition his party grew in strength and for the general elections of 1982 won all the seats (60-0) in alliance with the PSM of Harris Bhodhoo. This alliance was PRB's fist mistake. The MMM did not need the PSM to win the elections as the Labor Party of SSR was already dead and Mauritius was bankrupt. Had PRB put himself as PM and the MMM facing the elections alone, they would have won by the same margin.
PRB soon realised his mistake when Bhoodho plotted against him and dragged Aneerod Jughnuth on his side and weaken PRB and his party.  The second mistake that PRB made in the 1983 elections was to put himself as shadow Prime Minister which caused the Jughnuth and Bhodhoo to lead a vicious communal campaign against him as a non Hindu.
PRB and his MMM lost the subsequent elections. The bureau politque of the MMM knew from then on that it was impossible for the MMM alone to win the elections and started making alliances with the MSM of SAJ and the Laboor Party of Navin Ramgoolam. These alliances never worked and PRB and his MMM stayed in government for a short time only. These were again mistakes made by miscalculations and underestimating his opponents' "ruse" that they were only using the MMM to be in power.
In 2000 the MMM allied with the MSM on conditions that PRB would be PM for 2 years. They won overwhelmingly and that was the only time that PRB stayed in a government for its full duration. With the MSM,  PRB lost the 2005 elections and again made the mistake of putting himself as PM and lost the 2010 elections. However the MMM was very effective in opposition.




Overall the MMM has not been in government for a long time during their 50 years existence. The militants stayed loyal to the party but was sick of being in the opposition and suffered discrimination from the Labour Party. Meanwhile the government of Navin Ramgoolam was under heaps of pressure and criticism for the many scandals, corruptions and nepotism, incompetence, and so on.
Time was coming for the 2015 elections and PRB made another tactical mistake of allying with the MSM (Remake 2000) on MSM's terms. The MSM was rated as only 4% in the polls and the MMM was 44%. Why did PRB gave an equal share  to the MSM and put SAJ as PM was beyond comprehension, another big mistake again. The Labor party, on the other hand,  was as weak as it was in 1982 and Navin Ramgolam  knew it. Going to the elections alone or with the PMSD would be suicidal. The Remake 2000 was Navin's nightmare and so he had to break the alliance and attracted PRB in his nets. He has just revealed how he gave PRB "enn gros labouet" and hooked him.
For a fact  PRB knew that he made a bad deal with the MSM and opted to join the PTr with a better deal. Better deal not so much for the MMM but rather for  Navin who has the lion's share. PRB will be PM but Navin will be President with full power, even unlimited power, so much so that the opposition calling PRB "PM poupette".
Has PRB made another mistake or is it again another political amateurism and lack of political skills?
If the alliance MMM/ Ptr does not win  3/4 of seats, PRB will be the big loser again. But even if they win overwhelmingly Paul wll not be a full fledged PM as Navin will still have he power to sack him. So what is left for PRB ? The post of VPM for how long, as it is not in the agreement that he can be PM. His other option is to retire as VPM or asked to be muted to Reduit.
Love him or hate him PRB would have been the politician who has dominated the political landscape of Mauritius the most. He will be remembered and his place righly so among the great like Cure, Anquetil and Rozemont.