The polemic triggered by the opposition about whether it is parliament or the president who should decide on the sanctions to be adopted against parties which do not fi eld one female candidate at the next municipal elections is nitpicking at its best. The president is elected by both sides of parliament and should, therefore, have the trust of the whole national assembly. You will recall that his nomination was openly endorsed by the leader of the opposition in spite of his rapprochement with the MSM leader, the incumbent to this very post. And the president – who has for sometime now been elevated above the rough and tumble of everyday politics – has no reason or excuse to delay a decision about these sanctions. Unfortunately for both the Labour Party and the MMM.

Unfortunately for the Labour Party who are not really serious about holding these elections. Municipal town seats are not their forte. At the last municipal elections held a lifetime ago, they owed their tidal wave to the momentum of the general election and to the fact that they stuck to the promises they had made in their manifesto. So, when they made more promises for the municipal elections, the electorate trusted them and gave them their vote. We are in a different situation today, for the delay of these elections in itself may cost them the few seats they could have hoped for.

Unfortunately for the MMM too because if the municipal elections were called tomorrow, they’d have to formalize the remake, something they are not eager to do at a time when it is at times on and at times put on the back burner to make room for the koze-koze we have become so accustomed to. And committing to the MSM is not going to be an easy idea to sell to their grassroots. It is tantamount to asking them to work their guts out to give the MSM half of the catch on a tray with nothing in return…except the promise of giving them yet again half the investitures for the general election and three years of primeministership.

So to avert any direct, mortal challenge for now, the only way is to lay low at times and at others use one of the old-fashioned tactics still being deployed to bolster the status quo: create a polemic and buy time. The MMM has nothing to gain by holding municipal elections now and the Labour Party must be rubbing its hands in glee.

The only party which is serious about holding municipal elections now is, paradoxically, the MSM. They, naturally, will not be able to secure more than zero seats on their own, or at best might perhaps secure one, but they are not on their own, are they? At least they have been told that they are not since Paul Bérenger has reiterated the fact that the remake is on. Now, he either has to live up to his promise or be prepared to see his bargaining power with the other party reduced. Not a position you or I would like to be in, is it? So, more polemics, please!

weekly@lasentinelle.mu