Mauritius opposition hold mass protest calling for fresh elections

Two main opposition parties in Mauritius have held a mass protest on Friday against the appointment of the new Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth who took over power from his father last Monday.

86-year-old Anerood Jugnauth resigned last week and handed over power to his son who is the leader of the main political party Militant Socialist Movement (MSM).

1,500 Mauritians hit the streets on Friday morning to participate in the demonstration organised by the Mauritian Social Democrat Party (PMSD) led by Opposition Chief Xavier-Luc Duval and the Labour Party of former Prime Minster Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam.

Clad in black and holding placards with the inscription “No father-son deal”, “Democracy in Mourning” and “No to Monarchy”, the protesters called for a general election and an end to the transfer of power along family lines.

“This is a black day for Mauritius. The Jugnauth family is turning the Island into a ‘Banana Republic’. This is the biggest treason in history as the population never voted for this dynastic arrangement,” former Prime Minister and Labour Party leader Navin Ramgoolam said.

“Anerood Jugnauth’s failure to resign as a Member of Parliament shows that he would act as a babysitter for his son,” another opposition leader Chief Xavier-Luc Duval said.

According to the country’s constitution, the President appoints a member of the National Assembly as Prime Minister who will have the support of the majority of members.

Pravind Jugnauth’s party is the majority in the National Assembly with 32 members.

The Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius has a population of a little over a million people.