Navin Ramgoolam

Navinchandra Ramgoolam, GCSK, FRCP, MP (born नवीन चन्‍द्र रामगुलाम on 14 July 1947)is the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Minister of Defence, Home Affairs & External Communications, as well as Leader of the National Assembly. Being the leader of the Mauritian Labour Party, he serves as Member of parliament for constituency No. 5 Triolet & Pamplemousses since 1991.

Ramgoolam trained as a doctor at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland and achieved full registration with the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom in 1977. He later converted to Law by achieving a Master of Laws qualification at the London School of Economics before starting a political career.

After a first candidacy for Parliament in 1991, he returned as 1st Member elected in Constituency No 5. He stood as a prime minister candidate for the Labour Party, but the party was heavily defeated by Sir Anerood Jugnauth with his MSM and alliance party MMM. The Labour Party secured only 3 seats of 70 in the House of Parliament. Jugnauth won 59 seats and the rest went to Rodrigues party. Thus Paul Bérenger became Leader of the Opposition.

Ramgoolam became Prime Minister in the landslide victory of 1995 general elections where the Labour Party in alliance with the MMM won 60 seats. He formed his cabinet and stayed as Prime Minister for a five term mandate. The government collapsed after the MMM left the coalition, but Ramgoolam continued to rule with a small majority. He lost the elections of 2000 and became leader of Opposition again until 2005.

Ramgoolam's Alliance Sociale (a coalition including his own Mauritian Labour Party, the Mauritian Party of Xavier-Luc Duval, and several smaller groups) defeated the governing Mauritian Militant Movement-Militant Socialist Movement coalition in the 2005 general election. Ramgoolam was re-appointed as Prime Minister.

In the 2010 elections, the Labour party made an alliance with the Militant Socialist Movement and the Mauritian Social Democrat Party. His alliance won him a 3rd term as Prime Minister. However, since the MSM left the government in 2011, he only has a small majority of 37 seats against 32 in opposition.

Early Life

Navin Ramgoolam was born to Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, a then practising physician, and his wife Lady Sushil Ramgoolam in Port Louis, Mauritius. He was born when his family was still poor and he grew up in the Capital City of the country. He went to study medicine in Ireland and graduated as a medical practitioner in 1973. He then converted to law in late 1980's and joined the Middle Temple Inn of Court. He worked in different private hospitals in the United Kingdom and was on the point of immigrating to Canada when Sir Satcam Boolell (then leader of Labour Party) and Paul Berenger convinced him to come back to Mauritius and to fight and win the leadership of the party.

Personal Life

Navin Ramgoolam is the son of former Prime Minister and Father of the Mauritian Nation Seewoosagur Ramgoolam and Lady Sushil Ramgoolam. He is married to Veena Brizmohun since 1976. He has a sister and his brother in law is an Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

From : www.wikipedia.org

Anerood Jugnauth

Sir Anerood Jugnauth (Hindi: अनिरुद्ध जगन्नाथ , born 29 March 1930), KCMG, QC, GCSK, PC, LLB, GOLH, GOP, ORS is the President of Mauritius and all its dependencies. He is the Commander in Chief and Head of state incumbent since 2003 following his election in 2003 and 2008.

He served as prime minister from 1982 to 1995 in four consecutive terms and then was voted out of office from 1995 to 2000. He was the prime minister who held the office for the longest run, one of 16 years, overtaking Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, who held the office for 14 years. As leader of the Militant Socialist Movement, he became prime minister again, after the 2000 elections, for his fifth term. His alliance partner, Paul Bérenger of the Mauritian Militant Movement, succeeded him in 2003 after serving as Jugnauth's deputy for three years. Jugnauth was then elected president in 2003. He was a Member of Parliament for 35 years, from 1963 to 1995 and from 2000 to 2003. Often nicknamed as Rambo (a film character known to be unbeatable), in Mauritian politics, he is known as such for his personality as he is the only prime minister who won 4 general parliamentary elections in a row, those in 1982, 1983, 1987, 1991.

He was called to the Bar by Lincoln's Inn. He was a cabinet minister during the leadership of Seewoosagur Ramgoolam from 1965 up to 1969. In 1970, he moved out and went to the newly created political party of the Mauritian Militant Movement, where he eventually became its leader in 1982. He created his own political party called Militant Socialist Movement in 1983 and was once more elected. His party remained in power up to 1995. In 2000, he was once more elected prime minister and served until 2003, when he was sworn into the presidency. From the beginning of his first mandate as Prime Minister he expressed his country's readiness to establish strong economic ties, particularly in creating technology-based projects with economic feasibility. Jugnauth is credited with the legacy of Mauritius’ "economic miracle"[citation needed] of the 1980s - a set of policies such as the revitalization of the duty-free trade zone and establishing Mauritius as a leader in textiles production - which allowed the island to develop an economic presence in the region.

He founded the Militant Socialist Movement party in 1983. He was elected as prime minister in 1982 for the first time, again in 1983, and for the third time from 1991 to 1995. He was honoured with Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards for his continued support for India's causes and concerns and for strengthening India's relationship with Mauritius. He has expressed his country's readiness to establish strong economic ties, particularly in creating technology-based projects He was elected in 2000 to his final tenure as Prime Minister up to 2003 where he retired from his office.

He was made Queen's Counsel in 1980 and was made a member Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council in 1983. He was Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1988 when the Republic was still a Commonwealth Realm and when the Queen acted as Head of State. Therefore he still uses his Formal title as Sir and also the prefix The Right Honorable.

In 2010, his political party, the Militant Socialist Movement, formed a coalition with the Mauritian Labour Party and won the general elections held on the 5 May 2010. Following the elections, his son Pravind Jugnauth leader of the Militant Socialist Movement became Vice Prime Minister holding the office of Minister of Finance.

Early Career and Education

Anerood Jugnauth was born on 29 March 1930 at La Caverne, Vacoas Phoenix, and was brought up there. He had his primary education at Palma Primary School and had his secondary education at Regent College. He taught for some time at New Eton College and later worked as a clerk in the Poor Law Department for some time before being transferred to the Judicial Department. In 1951, he left Mauritius for the UK to study law. In 1964, he was elected Chairman of the Palma Village Council. He was first elected to parliament as an Independent Forward Block candidate in the constituency of Rivière du Rempart District in 1963. He served as a magistrate shortly after his resignation in 1966. In 1969, he was promoted to the Crown Law Office. In 1971, he was made Senior Crown Counsel.[citation needed]

In the beginning of the 1970s, Jugnauth joined the Mauritian Militant Movement. He became the president and subsequently the leader of the party. Re-elected at the general election held in 1976 in the constituency of Piton/Rivière du Rempart, he served as Leader of the Opposition from December 1976 to June 1982.

Jugnauth trained and worked in law and took an active role in the 1960s negotiations for independence. Hewas called to the Bar in London in 1954. His political career began with his being elected in the Constituency of Rivière du Rempart in 1963. He was the President of the Palma Village council in 1964. He became Leader of Opposition from December 1976 to June 1982, and he joined the Mauritian Militant Movement in 1970.

Family Life

Jugnauth married Sarojini Ballah on 18 December 1957, and he is the father of two children: Pravind and Shalini. Pravind is the ex Minister of Finance of the Country and serves as a Member of Parliament for the Constituency Moka & Quartier Militaire. Pravind is the leader of the Militant Socialist Movement and is married to Kobita Ramdanee. Jugnauth's daughter, Shalini, is also married. Jugnauth is the grandfather to five grandchildren: Anusha, Divya, Sonika, Sonali and Sara.

President

Sir Anerood along with Lady Jugnauth took over the keys of the Chateau of Reduit on the 7 October 2003. His election to presidency was largely approved by the entire population as it was considered to be the new era of Mauritian Politics, allowing Paul Berenger to become prime minister who was the first person of non-Hindu religion to become head of government.

In 2003, he handed the leadership of his party to his son Pravind Jugnauth. He announced that he had "reached the end of this road". During his first Mandate, due to constitution, he had to announce general elections, which eventually took place in July 2005. The new prime minister elected Navin Ramgoolam, called him "a sitting duck" who is still yearning for power. He remained president until the end of his 5-year term, ending in 2008.

From : www.wikipedia.org