by Nurat Uthman
Mauritius was voting Sunday in a close-fought parliamentary election, with police at polling stations as the opposition warned about the risk of fraud in a nation touted as one of Africa’s most stable and prosperous democracies.
The vote in the Indian Ocean archipelago follows a historic agreement last month that saw Britain cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius following a long-running dispute.
But Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth’s hopes of an easy re-election following the Chagos deal were dealt a blow when secretly recorded phone calls of politicians, diplomats and journalists began to be leaked online last month.
In response to the wire-tapping scandal, the authorities announced a social media ban until after the election, before making an embarrassing climbdown in the face of opposition and media outrage.
The move nevertheless added to concerns that Mauritius’ much-vaunted democracy and civil liberties were being gradually eroded.
The battle for control of the 70-seat National Assembly is between two main blocs — Jugnauth’s Militant Socialist Movement and its allies which currently enjoy a majority, and the Alliance of Change led by former prime minister Navin Ramgoolam.
The rival camps have both said they are confident of victory, promising voters they will act to reduce poverty and the cost of living.
“There are risks of fraud today and we must remain vigilant,” Ramgoolam said Sunday, calling for voters to use their own pens to mark their ballots.
Election commissioner Irfan Rahman said everything was being done to ensure the vote proceeded in “calm and serenity”, including the deployment of police at polling stations.
“Each step will be carried out in complete transparency,” he told reporters Saturday.
Just over one million people are registered to vote in the country’s 12th election since independence from Britain in 1968, and the African Union has sent a 30-member observer mission.
A total of 891 candidates are in the running for 62 seats, with the remaining eight allocated under what is dubbed the “best loser” system.
Campaign rallies have been lively and roads are lined with colourful banners and posters of the various political parties.
Polls close at 6:00 pm (1400 GMT) and results are expected on Monday.
