The opposition in Mauritius secures 62.6% of the votes, dominating the parliament

The opposition Alliance du Changement (ADC) coalition in Mauritius, headed by seasoned politician Navin Ramgoolam, achieved 62.6% of the votes in the recent general election, effectively clinching a near total of parliamentary seats, as reported by the election commission on Tuesday.

The ADC secured 60 out of 62 national assembly seats in the election held on Sunday, as reported by the state broadcaster Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation, thereby granting three-time former premier Ramgoolam a fourth term as prime minister.

Ramgoolam, 77, stated that his initial action upon taking office would be to dismantle what he referred to as the nation’s surveillance system “to ensure that Mauritians can speak freely”.

“We will strive to address the escalating cost of living for the population by enhancing the oversight of the rupee’s value, removing Value Added Tax on essential goods, and eliminating nepotism, corruption, and repression,” Ramgoolam informed reporters.

Although the Indian Ocean archipelago experienced a 7.0% economic growth last year under the leadership of incumbent Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, his popularity seems to have suffered significantly due to a cost-of-living crisis and allegations of corruption.

Jugnauth acknowledged on Monday that he had made efforts for the nation’s 1.3 million citizens, but indicated that his Alliance Lepep coalition was facing a significant loss.

Last month, Jugnauth, who has held office since 2017, successfully negotiated an agreement for Britain to cede the Chagos Islands while maintaining control over the U.S.-UK Diego Garcia air base.

According to a tally of results released by the Office of the Electoral Commissioner (OEC), Jugnauth’s Alliance Lepep secured 27.8% of the vote.

According to the OEC, on the island of Rodrigues, which has two seats in Mauritius’ parliament, the Organization du Peuple de Rodrigues (OPR) secured 50.0% of the vote.

Earlier this month, Jugnauth’s government restricted access to social media platforms until a day after the election, citing national security concerns following the leak of conversations among public figures. The ban was lifted the following day.