JUST before the legislative election in 1998, Ralph Volcere, presently the Editor of Le Nouveau Seychelles Weekly, was approached by Dr. Ramadoss who informed him that he would like to sponsor his campaign for election as Member of the National Assembly representing the United Opposition (UO), presently the SNP, for the district of Anse Aux Pins.
Dr. Ramadoss invited Volcere to his house for tea and biscuits shortly after their first meeting. Before leaving his house, Ramadoss handed Volcere an envelope containing fifty thousand rupees. “Take this, this is for you”, he said. More was to follow and it did. Volcere candidly revealed that Dr. Ramadoss has been very generous to him over the
years. Dr. Ramadoss told Volcere that he wanted a change of Government because he (Ramadoss) was tired of being fleeced to the bone by the SPPF. “Everyday Ministers, MNAs, SPPF sycophants would turn up unannounced and uninvited at my doorsteps to beg” he confided in Volcere. “Sometimes they even send their mistresses along too begging for money, free meals and drinks in my restaurant” he lamented. “The only way out for me is for the SPPF to lose power” he reasoned.
Volcere told him that he sympathized with his dilemma and assured him that with his generous assistance it would help immensely in attaining their common goals. Volcere did not win Anse Aux Pins, but he did very well indeed. He was amongst the top five best losers thanks to funding from Dr. Ramadoss. It helped SNP, UO at the time, gained two extra proportional seats in the National Assembly.
But the money did not stop flowing. Doctor Ramadoss insisted that his investment in helping the opposition gain power was for the long term. The funding carried on even after the election.
He also told Volcere that politics was in his blood and that one of his close relatives was the Prime Minister of a state in India. Dr. Ramadoss even invited Volcere to accompany him on a trip to India. Volcere politely declined this particular offer.
According to Volcere, during his various meetings with doctor Ramadoss, the latter exhibited clear political ambitions. All indications were that should the opportunity ever presented itself, Ramadoss would not hesitate to run for the presidency. Therefore, we are not at all surprise of the latest development in his demarche to acquire political status.
First, he started his own newspaper, walking on the toes of several other newspapers in the process, including the Seychelles Nation. And most recently Dr. Ramadoss has been hitting hard at both the Opposition and the Government in his mouth-piece, The Rising Sun.
Last Tuesday it was the turn of the STB, which came under attack. Ramadoss is fast styling himself as presidential material on the front pages of his rag, wearing smart ties and tailor made suites. He is even making veil threats, left right and centre, threatening to come into politics; “DO NOT push him to add politics as an additional career”, the Chief Editor of Rising Sun warned (The Rising Sun, 15 March 2008).
One observer has commented that Ramadoss has finally lost his marbles. “He might have just bitten more than he can actually chew,” another remarked. Only time will tell. Ramadoss, who is known to be fronting several lucrative businesses for powerful people in SPPF, is also reputed to have blown his own trumpets in private on more than one occasion. If you live in somebody else's glass house, you should never throw stone, doctor Ramadoss.