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Mauritius will hold a national election today (Sunday), where Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth seeks to win a second term. Jugnauth, 62, has been prime minister since 2017 when he succeeded his father.
Mauritius will hold a national election today (Sunday), where Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth seeks to win a second term. Mauritius is recognized as one of the continent’s most stable democracies and has developed a successful economy riding on the back of its finance, tourism, and agricultural sectors since independence from Britain in 1968.
Jugnauth, 62, has been prime minister since 2017 when he succeeded his father. An alliance of parties led by his center-left Militant Socialist Movement won a majority of seats in Parliament to cement his leadership in 2019.
Mauritius has a long history of parties joining in alliances to contest elections. The MSM has led the government since 2009. Jugnauth’s five-party People’s Alliance will be challenged by opposition leader Navin Ramgoolam’s Alliance for Change in this weekend’s election.
Mauritians will vote for 62 seats in Parliament. The party or alliance that wins the majority will form the government and select the prime minister.
Additionally, eight lawmakers are nominated by the Electoral Supervisory Council to form the government and choose the prime minister. Another eight lawmakers are nominated by the Electoral Supervisory Council.
Mauritius was briefly rated a high-income country in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic set it back. It is one of the highest standards of living in Africa. It has a population of just over 1 million people and ranks second in Africa behind Seychelles on the Human Development Index. The country has a strong Indian influence. More than 60% of Mauritians have Indian heritage and people speak Mauritian Creole, a French-based language with some English and other influences.
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The Africa Center for Strategic Studies, a U.S. Congress-funded academic institution, said Mauritius’ stability and strong governance have made it a popular destination for financial investment.
