For some time now, the Police Force has been under severe criticism from the Opposition parties, the press, NGOs, groups of lawyers and even the Mauritian Diaspora. These criticisms range from violence, torture by some Police Officers, double standards and incompetence.
The latest salvo was fired when the report of the magistrate who chaired the judicial enquiry into the death of the MSM activist S. Kistnen was leaked to the press by a whistle blower. After careful consideration, the magistrate wrote the following damning observations:
“The manner in which the Police enquiry was conducted fell so below what can be considered reasonable that it marks a new level of incompetence. Very disturbing elements were flagged in Court in relation to the incompetent and abysmal manner in which the enquiry was carried out.”
Democracy Watch considers that it is imperative for the Commissioner of Police (CP) to seriously examine the magistrate’s findings and act quickly to restore the good image of the Police Force. The CP holds a Constitutional post of great importance. As a matter of fact, Sections 71, 91 and 93 of the Constitution provide inter alia for:
(a) The appointment of the CP by the Discipline Forces Service Commission with the concurrence of the Prime Minister;
(b) The functions of the CP who “shall be responsible for determining the use and controlling the operations of the Force and shall not be subject to the direction of control of any person or authority”;
(c) The Prime Minister to give to the CP “such general directives of policy with respect to the maintenance of public safety and public order”
(d) The removal of the CP by a special Tribunal.
It is clear from the Constitutional provisions that the CP is fully responsible for all Police operations to maintain law and order and that only policy directives could come from the Prime Minister. Let’s take the case of Mr. H. Jangi, retired DCP who has been employed on contract to head the CCID and recently transferred to the Police Training School. One could ask ‘Did the CP take that decision himself or was it an instruction from above’? Nobody would wish that the CP voluntarily dilutes his own powers.
The survival of our democracy depends in a large measure on the efficiency of a highly professional Police Force. It is responsible for law and order and has to carry out multifarious duties, including the relentless tracking of drug offenders. It is generally acknowledged that many of these duties are professionally carried out by different groups of officers, but in no case is partial professionalism good enough!
Democracy Watch invites the CP to develop and implement bold strategies and transparent communications plans which would allow the Police Force to earn back the respect of all sections of the population and allow it to breathe, to borrow the word from the outgoing DPP. The CP should confidently face the nation. The sooner the better!
“Climate change is the defining issue of these times” – (UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres)
Text: Two major conclusion of the latest UN Report of October 2022 on emissions of green house gases are that:
- “Small islands states, Africa and South East Asia are in greater risk of extreme weather”
- “G20 countries responsible for 80% of emissions”.
The window to take urgent climate action is closing rapidly. ‘Unless countries dramatically scale up their efforts to counter the climate crisis, the world faces a global catastrophe, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned.
Comments: The UN’s Latest Climate Report is a Final Warning for Action, addressed to all states which are assembled in Sharm el Sheik, Egypt, 6th – 18th November 2022.
The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report is full of alarming news. But tempered by optimism that there are solutions which we have researched to save the world from its worst climate change scenarios- if we all get together and act. It’s a matter of saving the planet as an inhabitable body in our Solar system and the Galaxy!
IPCC co-chair Jim Skea said in a statement. “Without immediate and deep emissions reductions across all sectors, it will be impossible.” “It’s now or never, if we want to limit global warming to 1.5°C”
Cities and energy will be Climate Change ‘battlegrounds’. Cities are a huge contributor to climate change, and “an increasing share of emissions can be attributed to urban areas,” the IPCC authors wrote. Over half the world’s population lives in urban areas – number expected to rise to over 70 percent by 2050.
We have here not only looking at Port-Louis, Curepipe, BB-RH, Q-B, Grand Baie area, Triolet, Goodlands, St Pierre, BUT THE ENTIRE REST OF MAURITIUS, where we are busy, with official permits, transforming green areas, forests, agricultural land and hills into cemented built-up area. And reducing our chances of achieving the necessary food self-sufficiency.
And of course, energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy (solar/wind/hydro/bio). Here we are already acting positively, but may be not fast enough. In both these fights (cities and energy) the reactions, support and action by citizens is called for and is a must.
COP27 is a defining moment and a time for all countries to commit to urgently implement measures to mitigate climate change and to facilitate adequate adaptation to its effects.
Every UN member state is a signatory for the UNFCCC, as well as Palestine, giving a total of 197 signatory parties. The COP has been meeting yearly since 1995.
COP27 is a crucial international summit that has the potential to turn the tide on global warming and avert the worst effects of climate change. The devastating consequences of climate change due to rising greenhouse gas emissions are deeply concerning to us, as they have particularly severe consequences for islands, the SIDS.
The Goals of this 27th meeting of the Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC are MITIGATION, ADAPTATION, FINANCE (Green transformation of financial systems; ‘How will the world foot the bill of financing climate action?’) and COLLABORATION (all countries to worktogether to deliver results).
The role of EDUCATION is crucial, namely in ‘creating a sustainable future through education’, to equip and empower young people, through education and skills, to take positive climate action. The relationship between education and climate and environmental change is gaining traction to sustainably embed education as a priority issue within climate and environment action.
Who is attending COP27? Heads of State/of Government, Ministers and negotiators, along with climate activists and experts, mayors, civil society representatives, UN S-G &Staff. The UNFCCC secretariat together with the Government of Egypt are organising the Sharm El-Sheikh Climate Implementation Summit on 7 and 8 November. About 100 heads of state and government due to attend, including President Biden, President Macron, German Chancellor Scholz, UK PM Sunak, Australian PM, Trudeau of Canada, Italy’s Meloni, President Erdoğan of Turkey, PM of Barbados Mottley, President of Seychelles, an MRU delegation.
IN CONCLUSION: Mauritius has an important role as a leader of the SIDS (Small Islands Developing States, which are in greater risk of extreme weather).We can drive the efforts to reach consensus for implementing fully the Paris Agreement and the new ones of 2022 from Sharm el Sheik. IMPLEMENTATION by ALL States hence ACTION is the key. And at home we must Walk the Talk!
Fortunately, researchers are well advanced in identifying what need to be done over the next 10 to 30 years to maintain this Planet Earth as a HABITABLE place. Simply let’s do it. We have a moral, legal, human and spiritual RESPONSIBILITY to do so.
Au moins l’arrestation d’un Bruneau Laurette pour escamoter un stock personnel de 22 millions de feuilles de papier à rouler
Texte : Importation de 22 millions de feuilles de papier à rouler. Le ministre Callychurn : Il s’agit d’un …stockage personnel (Défi du 4.11.2022). Le haschisch provient-il des Casernes Centrales (Question posée par Me S. Mohamed au tribunal de Moka (L’Express, 8.11.22)
Commentaire de Democracy Watch : La ficelle voulant emballer cette histoire à dormir debout est tellement grosse et grossière qu’il faut au moins l’arrestation d’un Bruneau Laurette (détenu politique ou trafiquant de drogue, seulement présumé, aux yeux surtout de notre force constabulaire) sur laquelle plane le plus impénétrable des mystères, pour tenter dévier l’attention de l’infortunée population mauricienne et l’empêcher de se scandaliser de pareille énormité ministérielle, trouvant plausible un « stockage personnel de 22 millions de papier à rouler ». Les Mauriciens, n’ayant aucune tradition ou presque de cigarette confectionnée manuellement en roulant, dans une feuille de papier, une quantité donnée de tabac, stocké dans une sacoche, aussi connue comme blague, nous devons conclure qu’un tel stock surtout individuel et non vendable de feuilles de papier relève du stupéfiant. Vous me direz que cette blague à tabac concerne aussi nos rarissimes fumeurs de pipe. Mais ces derniers n’ont nul besoin de feuilles à rouler. En accordant généreusement à un seul individu le besoin de fumer, par jour, une dizaine de cigarettes, faites de tabac en blague, roulées en papier, cela n’excède pas quatre milliers de feuilles PAR AN. Pour que cet individu épuise son stock personnel de 22 millions de feuilles de papier, il lui faudra plus de six millénaires. Pas mal pour un fumeur aussi invétéré. Prenons le problème par l’autre bout. Donnons 60 ans à cet individu pour épuiser son stock personnel de 22 millions, cela lui fait 366 666 cigarettes à fumer par an, soit un bon millier par jour ou une quarantaine par heure mais 24/7.
Bon peuple mauricien…Jusqu’à quand te laisseras-tu emberlificoter de la sorte ? En attendant, il manquait peut-être une auréole de martyre à Bruneau Laurette. Peut-être même celle d’un Kaya Bis…
