At the 2019 snap election, the governing
Alliance Morisien, led by Prime Minister
Pravind Jugnauth, won re-election, securing 42 seats. The opposition Alliance Nationale, led by former Prime Minister
Navin Ramgoolam, won 17 seats. Former Prime Minister
Paul Bérenger's
Mauritian Militant Movement secured nine, and the
Rodrigues People's Organisation retained its two seats. Due to the electoral system, Alliance Morisien was able to secure a majority of seats despite only obtaining 37% of the popular vote. Jugnauth succeeded his father,
Anerood Jugnauth, as prime minister in 2017, which was met with accusations of nepotism by the opposition. Observers attributed the government's victory to economic growth and the commencement of infrastructure projects. The opposition and civil society groups alleged irregularities, including reports of misplaced ballots and inadequately trained election workers. After the election, Surendra Dayal, who unsuccessfully contested Prime Minister Jugnauth's constituency of Quartier Militare and Moka, filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the constituency's result. Dayal claimed that Jugnauth and the other two successful candidates, who were also from Alliance Morisien, had engaged in bribery and undue influence to win their seats. The case was dismissed on appeal in 2023.
2020 oil spill and protests In July 2020, a Japanese-controlled bulk carrier,
Wakashio, crashed into a coral reef off the coast of south-eastern Mauritius, near
Mahébourg, resulting in an oil spill. The Jugnauth government declared a national emergency on 7 August. The incident, which occurred near two environmentally protected marine ecosystems, resulted in a setback for the tourism and fisheries sectors, on which Mauritius is highly dependent. The environmental damage and the death of wildlife sparked public outcry, and the government response faced criticism for a perceived failure to hold foreign actors accountable. As a result, protests broke out, a rare occurrence in Mauritius that saw an attendance of around 100,000.
Wire-tapping scandal In October 2024, a wire-tapping scandal broke out; the phone calls of numerous journalists, politicians, civil society members and foreign diplomats were reportedly tapped and leaked on the internet. Prime Minister Jugnauth and the Mauritius Police Force claimed that artificial intelligence had modified the leaked calls. Journalists affected by the tapping, however, said the calls were authentic. One journalist alleged the government's AI claims were an attempt to deflect attention from the scandal's fallout. Jugnauth announced an emergency committee would investigate the breach. Citing national security concerns, the government implemented a social media ban on 1 November, to last until the day after the election. Four suspects, including a former CEO of
Mauritius Telecom, were arrested that day. The opposition claimed the ban was politically motivated and aimed at preventing the Jugnauth government's defeat at the polls. Following widespread public uproar, the government reversed the ban on 2 November.
Chagos Archipelago agreement On 3 October, the Mauritian government announced an agreement with the United Kingdom had been reached that would end the
Chagos Archipelago dispute over the
British Indian Ocean Territory, subject to a final treaty. The UK would relinquish the archipelago's sovereignty to Mauritius; however,
Diego Garcia, which hosts a United States military base, would be leased for 99 years. Jugnauth said the lease would provide Mauritius with "billions of rupees". The deal was met with varied reactions by the exiled
Chagossians. While they praised the agreement as a likely step to return to the archipelago, many Chagossians criticised the Mauritian and British governments for failing to include them in the negotiations. The Linion Moris party accused Jugnauth of using the deal for political gain. The day after the announcement, on 4 October, Jugnauth called the election. == Electoral system ==