PORT LOUIS, Mauritius
Mauritians are set to find out Monday who will govern their Indian Ocean Island nation for the next five years after a hotly disputed election race.
Both the incumbent Prime
Minister Pravind Jugnauth and his main rival Navin Ramgoolam claimed their
political blocs had triumphed in Sunday’s legislative poll, but appealed for
calm after several incidents were reported at polling stations.
Turnout on Sunday was robust,
at about 80 percent according to provisional estimates by the election
commission.
Ballot counting began on
Monday morning and final results are expected later in the day.
Voters had voiced concern
about the continued political and economic durability of one of the richest and
most stable democracies in Africa, with the election overshadowed by an
explosive phone-tapping scandal.
The poll came on the heels of
an historic agreement last month that saw Britain cede sovereignty of the
Chagos Islands to Mauritius following a long-running dispute.
ALSO READ: Mauritius heads to the polls in wake of wiretapping scandal
But Jugnauth’s hopes he would
handily win a new term on the back of the deal were dented when secretly
recorded phone calls of politicians, diplomats and journalists began to be
leaked online last month.
Seeking to keep a lid on the
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 added to concerns
that Mauritius’s much-vaunted democracy and civil liberties were being
gradually eroded.
Jugnauth’s Militant Socialist
Movement and its allies are seeking to hold on to their 42-seat majority in the
70-member National Assembly but faced a stiff challenge from former prime
minister Ramgoolam’s Alliance of Change.
During a lively and sometimes
heated campaign, both camps promised voters they would take measures to improve
the lot of ordinary Mauritians who face cost of living difficulties despite
strong economic growth.
“We are confident of winning
because the people appreciate our record,” 62-year-old Jugnauth said after
polls closed, accusing the opposition of trying to hinder the smooth running of
the vote.
Ramgoolam, 77, issued a
similar declaration: “We are heading towards a big victory tomorrow. The people
are waiting for this liberation.”
Ramgoolam had warned early on
polling day about the risk of fraud, but later said voting went off largely
without incident.
Police had been stationed in
polling stations to ensure the security of the vote, and police spokesman Shiva
Coothen reported several incidents in some areas as ballot boxes were being
taken to counting centres, without giving more details.
Both Jugnauth and Ramgoolam
are members of the dynasties that have dominated politics in Mauritius since it
became independent from Britain in 1968.
A new bloc, the Linion Reform
alliance, campaigned against the establishment politicians with the slogan
“Neither Navin, Nor Pravind”, and criticised corruption and nepotism.
Sixty-two seats were up for
grabs under a first-past-the-post system, with the remaining eight allocated
under what is dubbed the “best loser” system.
The majority-Hindu nation has
seen remarkable stability and growth since independence, building an economy
based on tourism as well as financial services and textile manufacturing.
GDP growth was seven percent
in 2023, but analysts say Mauritius needs to diversify its economy, and
concerns about governance and corruption are growing.
The island is renowned for its
spectacular palm-fringed white beaches and turquoise waters, attracting 1.3
million visitors last year.
The Chagos deal was a major
success for the government, though Britain will retain a lease for a joint US
military base on the island of Diego Garcia for an “initial” 99 years.
Jugnauth hailed it as the
completion of the nation’s “decolonisation”.
But some have voiced concerns
that president-elect Donald Trump’s approach to the US military presence in the
Indian Ocean might have repercussions for the agreement.
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