PORT LOUIS: Mauritius opposition leader Navin Ramgoolam was confirmed as prime minister on Tuesday following a thumping election victory for his coalition that took every parliamentary seat on the main island.

One of Africa’s most stable and prosperous democracies, the Indian Ocean island chain has been dominated by a handful of political dynasties since independence from Britain in 1968.

Ramgoolam was confirmed as the new prime minister, a post he has held twice before, by the president’s office.

“The court of the people has delivered its verdict and a new Mauritius awakes,” the 77-year-old said to boisterous cheers and blaring horns.

The outgoing premier Pravind Jugnauth resigned. He had been in office since 2017, having inherited the job from his father.

The election commission said Ramgoolam’s alliance had won 62.6pc of the vote while Jugnauth’s Lepep Alliance took 27.8pc.

Thanks to its winner-takes-all system, it is the third time Mauritius has seen a 60-0 result for parliamentary seats, though four additional seats were given to so-called “best losers”.

Jugnauth, 62, was just last month celebrating a historic deal that saw Britain cede sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after a long-running dispute.

But 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.

The government responded by banning social media until a huge outcry forced the ban to be scrapped within 24 hours. Analysts had recently warned of worsening governance, corruption and the need to diversify the economy.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2024