Navin Ramgoolam Returns As Mauritius’ Prime Minister After Landslide Victory

Mauritius’ opposition leader, Navin Ramgoolam, has been appointed prime minister, marking a comeback to the role, a decade after his last term. 

The 77-year-old leader’s Alliance du Changement (ADC) coalition achieved a sweeping victory in the recent general election, securing 60 out of 62 parliamentary seats, as reported by the state broadcaster, Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation. 

This decisive win follows the ADC’s capture of 62.6% of the popular vote in Sunday’s ballot, according to the election commission.

The election results prompted incumbent Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth to resign after leading the Indian Ocean nation since 2017. 

Ramgoolam, who has previously served three terms as prime minister, outlined his initial priorities for the new administration, stating his intent to dismantle what he described as a “spying system” imposed by the previous government. 

“My first act in office will be to dismantle the country’s spying system so that Mauritians will be free to talk,” Ramgoolam said in an address to reporters.

Beyond this, Ramgoolam vowed to address the nation’s pressing economic challenges, pledging measures to alleviate the rising cost of living. 

“We will also work to put an end to the rising cost of living for the population by better monitoring the value of the rupee, lifting Value Added Tax from basic commodities, and vanquishing nepotism, corruption, and repression,” he added.

Jugnauth, whose Alliance Lepep coalition garnered just 27.8% of the vote, conceded on Monday, acknowledging the loss. “I tried to do what I could for the country’s 1.3 million people, but the election results show that my coalition was heading for a huge defeat,” Jugnauth stated. 

He leaves office following a year marked by escalating inflation and corruption allegations, issues that appeared to erode his popularity despite a notable economic growth rate of 7.0% in 2022.

Jugnauth’s recent political moves included negotiating an agreement with Britain to return control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while allowing the UK and the United States to retain their joint air base on Diego Garcia. 

His administration also faced criticism earlier this month after it temporarily blocked social media platforms until a day after the election. 

The government attributed the action to national security concerns following the leak of sensitive conversations involving public figures, lifting the ban the day after the vote concluded.

Meanwhile, the Organisation du Peuple de Rodrigues, a separate political entity, secured both parliamentary seats allotted to the island of Rodrigues, with 50% of the vote in that region, according to the Office of the Electoral Commissioner.

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