Mauritius is holding a parliamentary election, with the primary issues revolving around a significant cost of living crisis. Approximately one million citizens are eligible to vote, tasked with electing 62 members to the National Assembly. The outcome will also determine the prime minister’s role, with both the incumbent Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth’s Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) and the opposition focusing their campaigns on addressing economic hardships.
The election is unfolding amidst heightened public concern about rising living expenses in this Indian Ocean nation, widely recognized as one of Africa’s more prosperous economies. Economic growth in Mauritius is anticipated to reach 6.5 percent this year, a slight dip from 7 percent last year, yet many citizens reportedly remain financially strained. The MSM-led Alliance Lepep coalition has promised measures aimed at easing these pressures, including raising minimum wages, increasing pensions, and reducing value-added tax on essential goods. It has also proposed using recent payments secured from a landmark agreement with the UK to reduce costs for basic needs. This October deal marked a significant shift, as Britain agreed to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after decades of dispute, although the Diego Garcia airbase remains under UK-US control.
Meanwhile, the opposition Alliance of Change coalition, headed by former Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, has also made ambitious economic pledges. Their platform includes proposals to increase pensions, reduce fuel prices, and provide free internet and transportation services to ease financial burdens.
Campaign tensions have been compounded by a recent scandal involving leaked wiretapped conversations of key figures, which has cast a shadow over the election. The leak, which included private recordings of politicians, diplomats, and journalists, has placed additional scrutiny on the Jugnauth administration. In response, authorities initially imposed a social media ban to limit further exposure, but this decision was quickly reversed following widespread backlash from the public and media.
With security heightened at polling stations, the Electoral Commission has deployed police forces to prevent any potential electoral malpractices. The African Union has also sent a 30-member observer team to oversee the election, reflecting the international interest in Mauritius’s stability as a prominent democracy in Africa.
As voters head to the polls, both political camps are intensifying efforts to resonate with the electorate, each aiming to present their coalition as the solution to the economic challenges currently gripping the nation.
