Navin Ramgoolam was sworn in as Mauritius’ prime minister on Tuesday, marking his return to office a decade after his previous term.
His Alliance du Changement (ADC) coalition achieved a sweeping victory in the recent general election, securing 60 of the 62 seats in the national assembly, according to the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation. The ADC garnered 62.6% of the vote, leading incumbent Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth to step down.
Ramgoolam, 77, outlined his top priorities, pledging to dismantle what he described as the country’s “spying system” to ensure free expression for all Mauritians. In his first remarks as prime minister, he also committed to tackling rising living costs, promising to stabilize the rupee, remove Value Added Tax on essential goods, and address issues of nepotism, corruption, and repression.
The landslide defeat came as a blow to Jugnauth, whose Alliance Lepep coalition received only 27.8% of the vote. Despite overseeing 7.0% economic growth last year, Jugnauth faced criticism over the cost of living crisis and allegations of corruption. He conceded on Monday, saying he had done his best for Mauritius’ 1.3 million citizens, but acknowledged that his coalition faced a “huge defeat.”
Last month, Jugnauth signed an agreement for Britain to relinquish control of the Chagos Islands, though the U.S.-UK air base on Diego Garcia will remain. His administration faced additional scrutiny for temporarily blocking social media platforms earlier this month, citing national security concerns after leaked conversations among public figures.
The Organisation du Peuple de Rodrigues (OPR) also secured the two seats representing the island of Rodrigues, with 50.0% of the vote there, according to the Office of the Electoral Commissioner.
