Mauritius: Left Wing Gains

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The result of the December general election in the tiny, sugar producing Indian Ocean island of Mauritius was a judgement on the two reactionary and bureaucratic parties which have dominated Mauritian politics since independence in 1968.

Both the Labour Party led by Prime Minister Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam and Gaetan Duval's even more right wing Social Democratic Party are deeply compromised with imperialism which has always shown an appetite for this island because of its important strategic position.

Ramgoolam boasts an alliance with Indian dictator Gandhi who also has designs on the island which she visited last October.

The contempt of these two parties for the masses of workers and peasants of Mauritius is shown by the fact that the largest party after the elections, the 'socialist' Mauritian Militant Movement had no seats at all in the previous parliament.

With 30 seats it is still two short of an overall parliamentary majority, though its leader Paul Berenger has said he is prepared to form a government.

The leaders of the other two parties are now engaged in an attempt to sink their bitter personal discords to prevent the MMM forming a government and threatening their monopoly of political power.

The previous coalition between Ramgoolam and Duval broke up during major strikes in 1971 and 1972.

For his part in organising these, Berenger was jailed for eight months by Ramgoolam's government which suspended the constitution under which new general elections were then due.

This 'state of emergency' under which Ramgoolam has undemocratically clung onto power has lasted for four years.

Berenger predicts that a new coalition could not last more than a year, by which time the Labou Party would have lost its remaining supporters.

The extraordinary growth of the MMM and the General Workers Federation, the trade union with which it is linked, suggests that he is right.

If so, the professions of "socialism' made by the MMM will soon be put to the test. The Party's election programme was a very limited one but include a number of potential reforms.

FAMILIAR PROPOSAL It advocated the nationalisation of the five largest of the island's 21 sugar companies, of the docks and transport system, the insurance companies (not the banks) and of the major hotels (Mauritius is an important tourist resort), together with restrictions on trade with South Africa though not a complete boycott) and the ending of landing rights for South African Airways.

In addition, it promised a programme to attack unemployment.

In the case of the hotels at least, however, the MMM's "nationalisation" is the familiar proposal to buy up 51% of the firms, a formula which has met with the satisfaction of capitalists in many countries of the semi-colonial world.

While the MMM's programme can in no way solve the problems of the masses of Mauritius its electoral victory represents their rejection of the continued domination of the island by imperialism and its local agents.

Their power is threatened • as never before and they can be expected to try to defend it by the most unscrupulous means.

These cannot be defeated by 51% "nationalisation" but only by a principled leadership based on the Transitional Programme of the Fourth International. ing commission from the International Compideration of Free Trade Unions (thig @formist, anti-Communist, trade nd : international).

THE RACIST SMITH REGIME has refused to go along with the British Labour government's efforts to kill the black liberation movement with compromise.

Smith has sabotaged Ivor Richard's plans to reconvene the Geneva conference and has instead hanged eight black political prisoners and stepped up its military plans.

Exemptions from military service for whites have been reduced and steps taken to stop food reaching the guerrillas.

This shows desperation face of a new offensive by the liberation army and • the waning strength of the racists.

Since the war began 250 members of the Rhodesian security forces have been killed. What is more serious in the long run, the net emigration of the white population last year was over 7,000 (about of the white population).

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