By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Navin Ramgoolam has been sworn in as the Prime Minister of Mauritius after a landslide election victory that dislodged the ruling coalition and returned the opposition leader to power after 10 years in political wilderness.
His swearing-in on Wednesday marks his return as Prime Minister for the third time where he promised to make the country a “good” place to live in.
“My mission is to ensure that Mauritius is a good place to live,” Ramgoolam, who will serve a five-year term said.
Ramgoolam’s Alliance of Change coalition made a clean sweep of the 60 parliamentary seats on the island of Mauritius in Sunday’s vote, out of a total of 66.
“It was an incredible victory,” the 77-year-old said after the ceremony at the presidency outside the capital Port Louis, which was attended by dozens of politicians and ambassadors.
A two-time former Prime Minister, he won 62.6 percent of the vote against 27.8 percent scored by his 62-year-old predecessor, Pravind Jugnauth of the Lepep Alliance.
A winner-takes-all election model means single coalitions often dominate parliament in the Indian Ocean island nation, seen as a model of economic and political stability compared to many other countries in Africa.
Alliance of Change will be joined in the National Assembly by two other legislators from an independent party representing Rodrigues, a hilly autonomous outer island.
Four other parliamentary seats have been allocated under the so-called “best losers” policy, rounding up the total number of MPs to 66.
Ramgoolam, who previously worked as a doctor and a lawyer, served as prime minister between 1995 and 2000, and again from 2005 to 2014.
He is the son of Seewoosagur Ramgoolam who led Mauritius to independence.
