Mauritian PM resigns after defeat

PORT LOUIS – Mauritius Prime Minister Paul Berenger resigned yesterday after his ruling coalition were defeated in weekend parliamentary elections on the Indian Ocean island, officials said.

Berenger, the first prime minister of Mauritius not of South Asian origin, turned in his letter of resignation to President Anerood Jugnauth, at 10:15am at the presidency, the officials said. Berenger, had headed a coalition of the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) and the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) that took power in 2000 but lost in Sunday’s polls to the opposition Social Alliance of Labour Party chief Navin Ramgoolam.According to early returns announced by the national election board, the Social Alliance won 38 of the 62 constituencies that were up for grabs and Ramgoolam was to return to power the prime minister’s seat which he had held after winning elections in 1995.Berenger’s coalition, by contrast, won just 22 seats, according to those results.Eight seats in the 70-member National Assembly will be nominated by the electoral board under the so-called “best losers” system, which rewards high placing also-rans with representation in parliament.More than 600 000 of the 817 305 registered voters, or 81,5 per cent, turned out for elections which were essentially a two-way contest between Berenger and Ramgoolam, a former premier with strong backing from the majority Asian community.Nampa-AFPBerenger, had headed a coalition of the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) and the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) that took power in 2000 but lost in Sunday’s polls to the opposition Social Alliance of Labour Party chief Navin Ramgoolam.According to early returns announced by the national election board, the Social Alliance won 38 of the 62 constituencies that were up for grabs and Ramgoolam was to return to power the prime minister’s seat which he had held after winning elections in 1995.Berenger’s coalition, by contrast, won just 22 seats, according to those results.Eight seats in the 70-member National Assembly will be nominated by the electoral board under the so-called “best losers” system, which rewards high placing also-rans with representation in parliament.More than 600 000 of the 817 305 registered voters, or 81,5 per cent, turned out for elections which were essentially a two-way contest between Berenger and Ramgoolam, a former premier with strong backing from the majority Asian community.Nampa-AFP