Navin Ramgoolam, leader of the opposition Labor Party, announced on Tuesday that his coalition, the Alliance of Change, emerged victorious in the parliamentary elections held on Sunday in the Indian Ocean island nation. Local sources confirm that Prime Minister Jugnauth admitted to the loss.
Ramgoolam, a 77-year-old former prime minister, expressed his gratitude to supporters, asserting that the Alliance of Change made significant inroads in the elections. He mentioned that he hoped Jugnauth would relinquish his position soon, celebrating a symbolic score of “60-0” for his coalition.
The elections will seat 60 Members of Parliament for Mauritius and two for Rodrigues, with an additional eight seats to be allocated by the Electoral Supervisory Commission to ensure balanced representation of all communities.
While final results are still pending, Prime Minister Jugnauth acknowledged on Monday that his coalition, Alliance Lepep, was likely facing a substantial defeat at the national level.
In the lead-up to the elections, Jugnauth had emphasized the successful conclusion of an agreement regarding the sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago, signed with London in early October. This agreement was expected to bolster his electoral support following decades of dispute. However, private conversations among various leaders, including politicians and journalists, shared on social media in October seemed to shift public sentiment.
Both Ramgoolam and Jugnauth hail from influential families that have played significant roles in Mauritian politics since the country gained independence in 1968.
APA/sf/lb/abj/AFP