The center-right opposition coalition led by ex-President Anerood Jugnauth won the parliamentary elections by a large margin signifying that voters had rejected the plans of the government to expand presidential powers. The government was proposing that presidential elections be held directly instead of the current method where the largely ceremonial position is elected by parliament.
Of the 62 seats in parliament, the opposition got 47 seats while the coalition of Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam won just 13 seats.
The opposition Alliance Lepep coalition vigorously campaigned against the proposal. Led by the 84-year-old Jugnauth, who was president of Mauritius from 2003 to 2012 as well as prime minister from 1982-1995 and 2000-2003, the opposition promised to boost the economy, based largely on tourism, textiles, sugar and financial services.
The nation of 1.3 million people has had only four prime ministers in its history after being led to independence from Britain in 1968 by the father of the outgoing prime minister, Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, who was the first person in the country to hold the post.
Source: All Africa News