Navin Ramgoolam has returned as Mauritius’ prime minister after a decade, following a landslide victory by his Alliance du Changement (ADC) coalition, which won 60 of the country’s 62 national assembly seats. The 77-year-old Ramgoolam, who previously led the country from 1995-2000 and 2005-2014, was sworn in at a ceremony attended by the nation’s top officials. He attributed his win to public discontent and promised to bring about transformative change. Ramgoolam’s latest tenure, from 2005 and 2014, saw him implement policies aimed at diversifying Mauritius’ economy, moving beyond tourism, textiles, and sugar exports. Since then, the small Indian Ocean country has become an offshore financial center for businesses all over the world. Pravind Jugnauth, the outgoing Prime Minister, steered the country to 7.0% economic growth last year. Despite this, his popularity declined due to a cost of living crisis and corruption allegations, leading to his party’s election loss.
