By A Correspondent

The Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth, has acknowledged his coalition’s significant loss following the parliamentary elections on Sunday. Speaking to the press on Monday, Jugnauth, 62, admitted that his party, L’Alliance Lepep, had suffered a “huge defeat,” saying, “The population has decided to choose another team.”

Jugnauth had been campaigning for a second consecutive five-year term, but his main challenger, Navin Ramgoolam, 77, leader of the opposition Alliance of Change coalition, is now poised to become the country’s next prime minister.

Mauritius, known for its stable democratic system in Africa, saw its elections marred by controversy, particularly a phone-tapping scandal.

Leaked recordings of conversations involving high-ranking public officials were widely shared online, creating a political firestorm.

In response to the scandal, the government imposed a ban on social media in the lead-up to the elections.

However, this decision sparked widespread backlash, with critics accusing the government of infringing on freedom of expression. Amid mounting public pressure, the government reversed the ban within 24 hours, signaling a retreat in the face of national outcry.