The Anatomy of Mauritius

'The Anatomy of Mauritius' is the bold title of a book that really put Mauritius under the microscope. In 13 chapters, backed by a mine of facts, statistics and graphical illustration, Ismael Khoodabux looks at, examines and analyses the most prevailing public policy issues under different regimes since the island emerged as a growing economy. Khoodabux has held various professional positions in the public sector and specialised in industrial relations at Keele University, England. He also holds masters in public policy, planning and management. The preface to the book is written by Dr. Ally Soodin PhD, MSc, MBA (Health Service Planning & Management (Keele). Khoodabux observes in his 356-page work: " There is no doubt that as we enter the third millennium, the focus of Mauritian politics will be shifting more towards public policy issues. The public will demand to know more about government activities and their consequences rather than just showing interest in the person of political leaders who are always evasive about what they stand for."

He does not see much policy differences and options between the main political parties of the nation. However, he tries to point out the similarities as well as the differences between the respective governing styles of S.A. Jugnauth and Dr N.Ramgoolam. He writes of the 'lethargy' that characterised much of the latter's time at the helm of the nation, but also makes positive comments on some positive trends whether under Jugnauth or Ramgoolam. The author also complains, that though other countries provide systematically a mine of objective data on themselves, In Mauritius, however, several constraints can be encountered, for example, the lack of researched materials, the difficulty in obtaining them, the unavailability of the required data and the persistent refusal of persons and authorities to supply them'.

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