Mauritians are set to find out Monday who will govern their Indian Ocean island nation for the next five years after a hotly disputed election race. Both the incumbent Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth and his main rival Navin Ramgoolam claimed their political blocs had triumphed in Sunday's legislative poll. Voters had voiced concern about the continued political and economic durability of one of the richest and most stable democracies in Africa, with the election overshadowed by an explosive phone-tapping scandal.
The poll came on the heels of an historic agreement last month that saw Britain cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius following a long-running dispute. But Jugnauth's hopes he would handily win a new term on the back of the deal were dented when secretly recorded phone calls of politicians, diplomats and journalists began to be leaked online last month. Seeking to keep a lid on the scandal, the authorities announced a social media ban until after the election, before making an embarrassing climbdown in the face of opposition and media outrage.
The move added to concerns that Mauritius's much-vaunted democracy and civil liberties were being gradually eroded. Jugnauth's Militant Socialist Movement and its allies are seeking to hold on to their 42-seat majority in the 70-member National Assembly but face a stiff challenge from former prime minister Ramgoolam's Alliance of Change. During a lively and sometimes heated campaign, both camps promised voters th.