Mauritius’ ruling party suffers landslide defeat following leaked phone calls on TikTok
The new prime minister of Mauritius, Navin Ramgoolam, aged 77, has vowed to abolish the country’s ‘spying system to ensure that Mauritanians can freely express themselves.’
Navin Ramgoolam, the opposition leader at 77 years old, has emerged as the new prime minister of Mauritius following a significant defeat of the ruling party in the general elections on November 10th.
The President of the country, Prithvirajsing Roopun, appointed Ramgoolam as the new prime minister after his coalition, Alliance de Changement (ADC), secured 62.6% of the votes in the election.
According to the state broadcaster, Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation, the ADC won 60 out of the 62 seats available in the election, while the ruling Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) failed to secure any seats.
The remaining eight seats in parliament will be filled by individuals nominated by the Electoral Supervisory Council.
In the previous parliament, the MSM held 42 out of the 70 seats.
Mauritius, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, gained independence from British colonial rule in 1968.
The outgoing prime minister, Pravind Jugnauth, conceded defeat on Monday, acknowledging that his party was heading towards a significant loss.
People Have Chosen ‘Another Team’
Jugnauth stated, “The population has decided to choose another team. I wish the country good luck.”
The election campaign was marred by a series of embarrassing phone call leaks involving Jugnauth, his wife Kobita, other party leaders, business figures, and police officers.
These leaks initially surfaced on a TikTok account named Missier Moustass (Mr Moustache) and later spread to YouTube.
In response, the government blocked internet and social media access, citing “a serious threat to national security and public safety.”
While the source of the leaked calls remains unclear, Ramgoolam has pledged to dismantle the country’s surveillance system to ensure the freedom of expression for Mauritanians.
One leaked conversation allegedly reveals a senior police officer asking a pathologist to tamper with a post-mortem report of an individual who died in police custody. Subsequently, the Mauritius government launched a judicial inquiry into the incident.
This marks Ramgoolam’s third term as prime minister, having previously held the position from 1995 to 2000 and from 2005 to 2014.
His father, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, served as the first prime minister of Mauritius from 1968 to 1982.
Chagos Deal Counted For Nothing
Just last month, Jugnauth’s government appeared to score a significant political win when it was announced that Britain would transfer sovereignty of the nearby Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
