The Militant Socialist Movement emerged in 1983 out of the split between the leaders of the two main parties comprising the coalition government: the MMM founder
Paul Bérenger and the
Parti Socialiste Mauricien (PSM) leader,
Harish Boodhoo. Soon after the 1982 elections tensions and disagreement mounted within the MMM-PSM government. For example Paul Bérenger was
white-anting PM
Anerood Jugnauth in many ways, such as the unauthorised replacement of the national anthem
Motherland by a Creole version on 12 March 1983, harassment by MMM thugs in Quatre Bornes, MMM's proposed constitutional amendment to transfer the Prime Minister's executive powers to the Cabinet as a collective body. Prime Minister Jugnauth, a member of the MMM, rejected Bérenger's proposal and was supported by PSM's Boodhoo. The MMM finally split, with Jugnauth and his supporters merging with Boodhoo's
PSM to form the MSM. Thus despite Berenger's numerous attempts at undermining him, Jugnauth remained the Prime Minister and he started to prepare for imminent general elections and Boodhoo headed the MSM's first electoral campaign. Influential members of the
MMMSP such as
Dev Virahsawmy, as well as Peter Craig and
Dan Callikan of the FTU also assisted the new MSM.
Dev Virahsawmy designed the MSM's symbol of a golden sun on a white background. In the new party Jugnauth's principal allies were
Kader Bhayat,
Vishnu Lutchmeenaraidoo,
Dineshwar Ramjuttun and
Ajay Daby. The new MSM set up a
politburo, appointed representatives of its regional sub-committees and on Friday 8 April 1983 officially launched the party at a large public rally held at La Caverne marketplace. Bérenger sought a parliamentary
vote of no confidence to replace Jugnauth with
Prem Nababsing, but Jugnauth abruptly dissolved the
National Assembly before it had a chance to vote. On 18 June 1983 Jugnauth dissolved the Assembly. The MSM, in coalition with the Labour Party and the PMSD, went on to win
the ensuing 1983 elections and Jugnauth remained in office. In December 1985, the MSM faced a new crisis as four of its members (Thomas, Nawoor, Kim Currun, and Pelladoah who all had earlier defected from the Labour Party) were arrested at
Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam in the Netherlands after 20 kg of heroin were found in Pelladoah's suitcase. The MSM won
the 1987 election with the same partners, and
the 1991 election in a coalition with the MMM. The coalition with the MMM turned out to be only a temporary rapprochement. In the leadup to the election expected to be held in 1996, the MMM left the government and formed an alliance with the Labour Party. Several MSM
Members of Parliament also defected to the opposition, putting the Jugnauth administration under increasing strain. The elections ended up being
brought forward to 1995. The opposition Labour-MMM coalition won all 60 seats, leaving the MSM without parliamentary representation.
Navin Ramgoolam of the Labour Party became prime minister. The Labour-MMM coalition subsequently broke up, and for
the 2000 election, the MMM agreed to a pact with the MSM, providing that Jugnauth would serve as prime minister for three years. He would then resign and assume the
presidency, handing the office of prime minister over to Paul Bérenger, the MMM leader. The MSM/MMM alliance won 54 of the 60 seats, and, as per the agreement, Jugnauth became prime minister and was succeeded by Bérenger in 2003. Bérenger led this coalition, which now included the PMSD, to defeat in
the 2005 elections, however, and Ramgoolam became prime minister again. In
2010, the MSM joined the Labour-led
Alliance de L'Avenir, which won the election, and Ramgoolam remained prime minister, with
Pravind Jugnauth of the MSM as his Deputy. However, the party left the government in 2011 to join the opposition. In 2014, The MSM opposed the Labor Party, which now aligned forces with the MMM instead. The MSM contested
that year's election as part of the
Alliance Lepep, which also included the PMSD and the
Muvman Liberater; the alliance won 47 of the 60 directly elected mainland seats. Jugnauth, now 84, became prime minister again, even though his son
Pravind Jugnauth was officially the party leader. In January 2017, Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth stepped down to hand power to his son, Pravind. In November 2019, Mauritius’ ruling Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) won more than half of the seats in the
2019 elections, securing incumbent Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth a new five-year term. ==Alliance LEPEP (2014–2016)==