Election victory for the opposition in Mauritius

Navin Ramgoolam and his opposition coalition Alliance du Changement (ADC) won an absolute majority in the Mauritian parliamentary elections on Sunday, the Office of the Electoral Commissioner announced on Tuesday. With 63% of the votes, the ADC was able to prevail against the L’Alliance Lepep (28%) of the incumbent Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth. This gives the ADC 60 of the 62 seats up for election in the National Assembly and replaces the Lepep Alliance, which only won two seats in this election (2019: 42 seats), as majority leader. In agreement with the Mauritian electoral system, which states that the party or party alliance that wins the majority of seats in parliament forms the government and its leader usually becomes prime minister, 77-year-old Ramgoolam replaces 62-year-old Jugnauth as head of government. According to the electoral commission, voter turnout was 79.3% of just over one million registered voters. Jugnauth from the Mouvement Socialiste Militant party had already conceded defeat to his party alliance on Monday.

The opposition’s landslide victory is largely attributed by international observers to the wiretapping scandal that rocked the island state shortly before the election. On 1 November 2024, recorded conversations of politicians, government officials and businesspeople, among others, were published on social networks, which are said to have been part of a state-sponsored but not legitimised wiretapping campaign, and in which police brutality and attempts to cover it up were discussed. According to the police and President Prithvirajsing Roopun, however, these had been manipulated with the help of artificial intelligence, whereupon the national regulatory authority, the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA), ordered access to social media to be blocked until the day after the elections. This step was justified with the protection of national security and the integrity of Mauritius, according to a statement from Jugnauth’s office. The ban was followed by massive protests from both the population and civil society groups, who criticised the measure as an illegitimate interference in the democratic formation of opinion and will. The restrictions were lifted within 24 hours of the ban being introduced. However, the growing dissatisfaction of the population, particularly with the exploding cost of living and growing concerns about governance and corruption, also played a role in the opposition’s election victory.

Accordingly, these issues played a central role in the election campaign. Ramgoolam and the ADC promised an increase in pensions, the introduction of free transport and free internet, a reduction in petrol prices, the introduction of an emergency fund for families, the fight against corruption and the stimulation of the green economy. Jugnauth also addressed the concerns of the population in his campaign and campaigned for votes with an increase in the minimum wage, a pension increase, the granting of interest-free loans to small businesses and a reduction in VAT on certain consumer goods. Furthermore, Jugnauth was able to celebrate a historic success shortly before the elections with the return of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. In return, it was agreed that the United Kingdom and the USA would be allowed to maintain their strategically important military base on Diego Garcia – the largest atoll in the Chagos Islands in terms of area – and retain control of this territory for the next 99 years. Despite this success and his election promises, Jugnauth was unable to convince the voters this time.

Jugnauth, who took over as prime minister from his father in 2017 and won the elections in 2019, is now handing over the reins of government to Ramgoolam, who is also no stranger to the country’s political scene. His father, Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, led Mauritius to independence from the United Kingdom in 1968 and became the republic’s first head of government. Navin Ramgoolam himself also held the office of Prime Minister from 1995 to 2000 and for two terms from 2005 to 2014.

Ongoing protests after elections

Protests against the results of the 9 October election are continuing in Mozambique. On Monday, Venâncio Mondlane, who came second behind FRELIMO candidate Daniel Chapo in the presidential elections with 20% (Press Review CW 43/2024), once again called for demonstrations from Wednesday until today, Friday, this time targeting the provincial capitals in particular. Once again, there were deadly clashes between demonstrators and the police. According to Amnesty International, seven people were killed by police in the northern provincial capital of Nampula on Wednesday. The security forces have repeatedly used tear gas and rubber bullets as well as live ammunition against the protesters. Last Thursday, the largest protests since the election took place in the capital Maputo. Thousands of people, particularly young people, marched through the streets of Maputo under the slogan ‘FRELIMO must fall’ to demonstrate against the alleged manipulation of the elections. Fires were also set and streets barricaded. In the course of this, General Omar Saranga, spokesman for the Mozambican armed forces, announced the deployment of the military on the streets of Mozambique to support the police in restoring public order. Security around the presidential palace has also been tightened and patrols in the streets increased. In addition, internet access was restricted and social media blocked.

Meanwhile, the official confirmation of the election results by the Constitutional Council, which is necessary for the results to become legally binding, is still pending. Mondlane, who stood as an independent candidate in the presidential elections, and the party supporting him, PODEMOS, had already filed an objection to the election results on 28 October and requested a recount of the votes. In the meantime, the 50-year-old has reportedly left the country following an attempted assassination on the night of 3 to 4 November. He is believed to be in South Africa, while other sources report that he has since left the continent. His lawyer and the spokesperson for the PODEMOS party had already been shot dead at the end of October, triggering a new wave of protests.

Although disputes and accusations of manipulation are not uncommon after elections in Mozambique, observers emphasise that the scale and duration of the current protests are unprecedented. According to Human Rights Watch, at least 30 people were killed during the demonstrations between 19 October and 6 November alone. The effects are also being felt regionally. For example, South Africa temporarily closed its side of the Lebombo border post after riots broke out here and fires were set on the Mozambican side of the border and lorries were held for ransom. South Africa, one of the world’s largest chrome producers, transports large quantities of chrome ore and concentrate via the port of Maputo. According to the South African authorities, every day that the border with Mozambique is closed costs the South African economy around 500,000 US dollars. Other countries, in particular the landlocked states of Zambia, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, are also highly dependent on imports and exports from Mozambique.

At the extraordinary summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which is taking place from Saturday to Wednesday in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare, the political unrest in Mozambique will also be discussed. One possible measure could be the dispatch of the Panel of the Elders, which consists of former heads of state and government, to mediate between the Mozambican government, the opposition and other parties involved. Meanwhile, civil society organisations are accusing the SADC of reacting too slowly to the situation in Mozambique. There has also already been criticism of the statement by the SADC Election Observation Mission (SEOM), which praised the conduct of the elections, while international election observers, including those from the European Union, clearly criticised the election process and noted irregularities in the vote count.

In other news

At the 30th anniversary of the MTV Europe Music Awards 2024 (MTV EMAs) on Monday, South African singer Tyla won three awards. The 22-year-old achieved success in the categories of ‘Best Afrobeats,’ ‘Best African Artist,’ and ‘Best R&B. This makes her the first African performer to win three awards at once at the MTV EMAs. In her debut performance at the awards show held at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, Tyla performed her hit song ‘Water’ and her new single ‘PUSH 2 START’. With her combination of African and international melodies, she has not only succeeded in winning the hearts of her local fans, but is also increasingly establishing herself on the global stage. In addition to Tyla, international stars such as Taylor Swift (‘Best Female Artist’), Ariana Grande (‘Best Pop’) and Eminem (‘Best Hip-Hop Artist’) were honoured on the evening. Ayliva came out on top in the ‘Best German Act’ category. The MTV EMAs annually honour the best music of the year and the world’s biggest artists.