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| Sunday, 17 February 2002 |
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Mauritius has new president, still no anti-terror law PORT LOUIS, Feb 16 (AFP) - Mauritius' new President Angidi Chettiar has described the anti-terror bill that caused his predecessor to step down as "tough", raising doubts here Saturday over whether he would pass it into law and remain in office. Cassam Uteem was forced to resign Friday from the largely honorary post of president after twice refusing to sign into law the controversial anti-terrorism bill passed by parliament. Under the constitution, the president had only two options when parliament approved the bill for the second time: sign or resign. One of Chettiar's first moves on becoming president was to meet with the head of Mauritius' opposition Labour Party, former prime minister Navin Ramgoolam -- one of the main opponents of the anti-terrorism law. Describing the proposed legislation as "dangerous," Ramgoolam said earlier this month he would urge Uteem not to sign it into law, warning that it infringed citizen's rights. And on hearing the news of Uteem's resignation, Ramgoolam said, "I salute the courage of President Cassam Uteem." Chettiar, 74, has been an active member of the Labour Party for 50 years. He was elected vice president of Mauritius by parliament in June 1997. On Saturday, it was still unclear what position he would take on the bill. All the new president would say was: "I am reading the papers and listening to public opinion." But if the new president does not approve the text, he too will be forced to resign. The bill will then go before the chief judge at the Supreme Court for approval. Mauritius' Prevention of Terrorism Bill provides for those suspected of having links with terrorism to be barred from entering Mauritius, and for bail to be denied to anyone arrested for terrorism-related offences. It also allows the police to hold incommunicado anyone suspected of having links to terrorism. Uteem said after tendering his resignation that the bill contained "clauses that threaten human rights and that call into question the country's sovereignty." He objected mainly to what he considered excessive powers given to police commissioners, and to a clause that said that people labelled terrorists by foreign countries would be automatically branded as such by Mauritius. "A clause along those lines in the anti-terrorism bill constitutes a true infringement on the sovereignty of the country," he said. The former president, who had been in office 10 years, left for Mecca on Friday night. The bill was drafted by the government of Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth in the context of the international war on terrorism that followed the attacks in the United States on September 11. It is one of three proposed laws that give the Mauritian judiciary, police and prime minister increased powers in the fight against terrorism. The opposition and non-governmental organisations have roundly condemned the bill. It was first passed by parliament on February 4, in the absence of the opposition, which boycotted the vote after a motion to delay debates was rejected. Parliament again passed the bill on Thursday, on the eve of Uteem's resignation. |
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