Mauritius opposition leader Navin Ramgoolam was confirmed as prime minister yesterday 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 62.6% of the vote while Jugnauth’s Lepep Alliance took 27.8%. 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.The election result was a “rejection of the now former regime’s abuse and misuse of power that have contributed to a weakening of good governance in Mauritius,” said Adeelah Kodabux, director of LEDA, a research and advocacy organisation in Mauritius.In last month’s Ibrahim Index, which monitors governance across Africa, Mauritius lost the top spot to Seychelles.The peaceful change of power raises hope of reform “to consolidate separation of power and rebuild the trust of their citizens,” said Kodabux.But she said the new government needed to introduce political reforms to address the lack of opposition caused by lop-sided election results.The Alliance of Change has promised changes to how the president and parliament speaker are chosen.But both campaigns focused on cost-of-living issues, with Ramgoolam offering increased pensions and cheaper fuel.The majority-Hindu nation has seen substantial stability and growth since independence, building an economy based on tourism, financial services and textile manufacturing, with GDP per head over $10,000, according to the World Bank.Ramgoolam, formerly a doctor and lawyer, served as prime minister in 1995-2000 and 2005-14.
