Barring a natural disaster or a sudden attack of self-respect, Navin Ramgoolam and Paul Bérenger could soon be dragging their respective parties, kicking and screaming, into an alliance that will all but seal the fate of democracy. Even if the prospect of such a stranglehold on power is nothing new in Mauritius, the fact that they plan to alter the Constitution to fulfill their design is very frightening indeed. For, if there’s one thing that these two politicos seem unable to come to grips with, is that there will be a life after them. And we’re the ones who’ll be saddled with having to deal with their legacy, namely the Second Republic. If Bérenger in particular has refuted accusations that the alliance is a dictatorship in the making, he hasn’t addressed the most important issue of them all: what will happen the day one party gets hold of both the Prime Ministership and the presidency?

Most discussions about the Second Republic have centered around how it’s been tailor-made for Ramgoolam and Bérenger, by Ramgoolam and Bérenger. The trouble is that we’re missing the forest for the trees. According to the story, which it’s worth mentioning, «l’express» broke over two weeks ago, Ramgoolam will become President with accrued powers. He will be elected by Parliament. Bérenger, on the other hand, will become Prime Minister, elected this time by universal suffrage. The thinking goes that any tendency for excess on the President’s part will be curbed by the Prime Minister and vice-versa. A political Yin and Yang of sorts. This is all the more true when one thinks of the two opposing personalities of Ramgoolam and Bérenger.

Sadly, that’s the very best scenario we can envisage under the new system. Now, the deal is still in gestation, so we can’t state anything for certain. But let’s say, for argument’s sake, that it’ll take a simple parliamentary majority to elect the President. It follows that whichever party wins the legislative elections will get to choose the President. So basically, the winner will take it all. But what about electoral reform? The revamped system will actually make for less, not more democracy. Given that we’re being told that the introduction of proportional representation will largely obviate the need for coalition governments, we’re going to end up sooner, rather than later, in a situation where one party controls both a souped-up presidency and the Prime Ministership.

That’s why they want to change the Constitution? Whichever way you look at it, it doesn’t fl y. The Prime Minister already enjoys more power than is healthy in a democracy. Let’s not allow two men on an ego trip to change the highest law in the land to satisfy their personal ambitions. That’s one killer deal we can definitely do without.