Port Louis — It's now official, ladies and gentlemen - your politicians think you complete and utter fools!

Yes, I know you do know this and right now you're probably asking what the big fuss is about. But let me tell you, you are so wrong to be so complacent about it. Why, I am simply fuming!

The award for best con politician must surely go to Paul Raymond Bérenger. Lest you think me biased, let me reassure you - of course all of them have their own mission deceit.

Take our Prime minister for instance - he is on a mission to have you believe that he is in the job only to make your life better; that he derives absolutely no pleasure from this tiresome exercise of power and, had he listened to his heart, he would have already tended his resignation letter to the President.

Pravind Jugnauth? He is such a fan of selective memory; he wants you to sign up as well. So he spends his time holding press conferences in an attempt to make you forget that he was not elected. He is hoping that, by doing this, he'd be able to make you think you are missing his luminosity and that you want him back.

And all our dear ministers and the dear former ministers - all there for their own benefit and ready to swear on everything they hold sacred that it is you, poor old gullible you, who matter.

But nothing, absolutely nothing beats this one - Paul Bérenger says in a press interview published in last Sunday's Week-End that he thinks that the "ideal" solution to the country's problems "for the Mauritian population would be an MMM-MSM coalition with Anerood and Paul heading the team." (Italics mine)

Forget the fact that Paul refers to Paul as Paul (he is doing this too often for comfort now though).

But Anerood and Paul???

Didn't Sir Anerood Jugnauth (if this is the same Anerood "Paul" is referring to, that is) retire from his political career on 30th September 2003? Didn't he retire as he promised he would so that "Paul" could have a go at being Prime minister? Didn't he stand up in Parliament and make the most moving speech a politician had ever made as he bid farewell to 40 years of a rich and eventful career?

Didn't he stand there and make us all cry?

Yes he did. And, to his credit, he is not the one going around talking all that nonsense.

But is Mr Bérenger's memory failing him? Or is it his sense of values that has gone amiss?

Does he not know that, when men of honour give their word, they do not take it back?

Oh! but what I am on about? One does not need to keep one's word when it has been given to fools.

And this is what gives them the licence to promise you the moon.

After all, you don't mind, do you? Fool that you are.