Pravind Jugnauth, the incumbent prime minister of Mauritius, has conceded defeat in the parliamentary election, saying his political alliance is headed for a major loss.
“L’Alliance Lepep is heading towards a huge defeat. I have tried to do what I can for the country and the population. The population has decided to choose another team. I wish good luck to the country,” Jugnauth, serving as prime minister since 2017, told reporters on Monday.
Final results have yet to be officially released, but opposition leader Navin Ramgoolam looks set to take over as prime minister for the third time at the head of his Alliance of Change coalition.
Voters went to the polls on Sunday to elect legislators for the 62 seats in parliament for the next five years, from a list of 68 parties and five political alliances. The party or coalition to receive more than half the seats in parliament will also win the prime minister’s post.
Only last month, Jugnauth, 62, was celebrating a historic deal with the United Kingdom to regain sovereignty over the Chagos Islands following a long-running dispute. But the campaign was overshadowed by an explosive wire-tapping scandal, when secretly recorded phone calls of politicians, diplomats and journalists were leaked online. During a heated campaign, both camps promised voters they would take measures to improve the lives of Mauritians who face cost-of-living difficulties despite strong economic growth.
