Mauritius’s Prime Minister, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, has conceded defeat in Sunday’s general elections, ending his bid for a third consecutive term, Bloomberg reports.
Early results show his five-party Alliance Lepep coalition trailing significantly behind the opposition Alliance du Changement.
The opposition, a four-party alliance led by Navinchandra Ramgoolam, is projected to secure an outright parliamentary majority. If confirmed, this would mark Ramgoolam’s return to the premiership after a decade-long absence. He previously served three terms as Prime Minister before being voted out in 2014.
Despite a booming Mauritian economy, projected to expand by over 6% annually until 2030, allegations of government fraud and corruption have fueled public discontent. Jugnauth’s controversial decision to ban social media following a purported cyberattack further alienated voters.
Ramgoolam, the son of Mauritius’s first post-independence leader, has promised to tackle issues including rising food, fuel, and medicine prices, increase old-age pensions, and implement reforms to the nation’s ports, airports, national airline, and electoral system.
