Opposition secures landslide victory in Mauritius election

Former premier curate Navin Ramgoolam has won a 3rd word successful nan Indian Ocean nation, charismatic results show.

Opposition leader Navin Ramgoolam has won a landslide triumph successful Mauritius’s parliamentary vote, nan predetermination committee said.

The Office of nan Electoral Commissioner said connected Tuesday that Rangoolam and his Alliance of Change (ADC) conjugation won 62.6 percent of nan vote, securing nan three-time erstwhile premier curate a 4th term.

The ADC won 60 of 62 seats successful nan National Assembly, authorities broadcaster Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation reported.

“The tribunal of nan group has delivered its verdict and a caller Mauritius awakes,” 77-year-old Rangoolam said to crowds of supporters amid boisterous cheers and blaring horns.

Ramgoolam served arsenic premier curate from 1995 to 2000 and again from 2005 to 2014.

As good arsenic nan 60 seats for Mauritius, location were 2 up for grabs for nan land of Rodrigues and different 8 allocated nether what is dubbed nan “best loser” system.

The winner-takes-all predetermination exemplary intends azygous coalitions often predominate parliament.

‘Free to talk’

Incumbent Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth had conceded connected Monday that his Lepep alliance, led by his Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), was “heading towards a immense defeat”.

“The group person chosen different squad to lead nan country,” Jugnauth, who has served arsenic premier curate since 2017, told reporters.

Only past month, nan 62-year-old premier curate was celebrating a historical woody that saw Britain cede sovereignty complete nan Chagos Islands to Mauritius aft a long-running dispute.

But nan ballot was overshadowed by an explosive wire-tapping scandal, erstwhile secretly recorded telephone calls of politicians, diplomats, members of civilian nine and journalists were leaked online.

Ramgoolam said that pursuing his landslide victory, he would first dismantle nan country’s “spying strategy truthful that Mauritians will beryllium free to talk”.

Economic challenges

During nan campaign, some camps promised to amended nan batch of Mauritians who look cost-of-living difficulties contempt robust economical growth.

Measures outlined successful nan Alliance of Change manifesto see nan creation of a money to support families facing hardship, free nationalist transport, accrued pensions and reduced substance prices, arsenic good arsenic efforts to tackle corruption and boost nan greenish economy.

It besides called for law and electoral reforms including changing really nan president and parliament speaker are chosen.

At slightest 1 cardinal group were registered to ballot connected Sunday successful nan 12th predetermination since Mauritius gained independency from nan United Kingdom successful 1968.

Mauritius, which sits astir 2,000km (1,240 miles) disconnected Africa’s eastbound coast, is recognised arsenic 1 of nan continent’s astir unchangeable democracies and has developed a successful system underpinned by its finance, tourism and cultivation sectors since gaining independence.

Both Jugnauth and Ramgoolam are members of nan dynasties that person dominated nan activity of Mauritius since independence.

Ramgoolam, who antecedently worked arsenic a expert and a lawyer, is nan boy of Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, who led Mauritius to independency from Britain.

Source

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Al Jazeera and news agencies