Navin Ramgoolam returns as new PM of Mauritius after massive electoral win

Navin Ramgoolam was sworn in for his third stint as prime minister of Mauritius on Wednesday after his landslide election victory knocked out the ruling coalition and returned the opposition leader to power after 10 years in the political wilderness.

Ramgoolam’s Alliance of Change coalition made a clean sweep of the 60 parliamentary seats on the island of Mauritius in Sunday’s vote, out of a total of 66.

“It was an incredible victory,” the 77-year-old said after the ceremony at the presidency outside the capital Port Louis and attended by dozens of politicians and ambassadors.

“My mission is to ensure that Mauritius is a good place to live,” said Ramgoolam, who will serve a five-year term.

The two-time former premier won 62.6 percent of the vote against 27.8 percent for his 62-year-old predecessor Pravind Jugnauth’s Lepep Alliance.

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A winner-takes-all election model means single coalitions often dominate parliament in the Indian Ocean island nation, seen as a model of economic and political stability compared to many other countries in Africa.

Alliance of Change will be joined in the National Assembly by two other legislators from an independent party representing Rodrigues, a hilly autonomous outer island.

Four other parliamentary seats have been allocated under the so-called “best losers” policy, rounding up the total number of MPs to 66.

The vote was overshadowed by an explosive wire-tapping scandal, when secretly recorded phone calls of politicians, diplomats, members of civil society and journalists were leaked online.

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The government responded by banning social media until a huge outcry forced the ban to be scrapped within 24 hours.

Although Mauritius boasts per capita GDP of around $10,000, according to World Bank figures for 2022, analysts have warned of worsening governance, corruption and the need to diversify the economy.

Both Jugnauth and Ramgoolam are members of the dynasties that have dominated the leadership of Mauritius since it became independent from Britain in 1968.

Ramgoolam, who previously worked as a doctor and a lawyer, served as prime minister between 1995 and 2000 and again from 2005 to 2014.

He is the son of Seewoosagur Ramgoolam who led Mauritius to independence.

(Except the headline, this story has not been edited by Firstpost staff.)