Paul Bérenger

The Honourable Paul Raymond Bérenger GCSK
leader of the Opposition of Mauritius
Incumbent
Assumed office 25 September 2007
President	Sir Anerood Jugnauth
Prime Minister	Navin Ramgoolam
Preceded by	Nando Bodha
In office 05 July 1997 – 11 September 2000
President	Cassam Uteem
Prime Minister	Navin Ramgoolam
Preceded by	Von Mally
Succeeded by	Navin Ramgoolam
In office 1993–1995
President	Cassam Uteem
Prime Minister	Sir Anerood Jugnauth
Preceded by	Navin Ramgoolam
Succeeded by	Von Mally
In office 21 August 1983 – 30 August 1987
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor General	Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Veerasamy Ringadoo
Prime Minister	Sir Anerood Jugnauth
Preceded by	Gaetan Duval
Succeeded by	Prem Nababsing
Prime Minister of Mauritius
In office 30 September 2003 – 05 July 2005
President	Anerood Jugnauth
Deputy	Pravind Jugnauth
Preceded by	Sir Anerood Jugnauth
Succeeded by	Navin Ramgoolam
Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius
In office 20 December 1995 – 10 July 1997
President	Cassam Uteem Karl Hoffmann
Prime Minister	Navin Ramgoolam Anerood Jugnauth
In office 20 September 2000 – 30 September 2003
Preceded by	Kailyash Purryag
Succeeded by	Pravind Jugnauth
Member of Parliament for Rose Hill & Stanley
Incumbent
Assumed office 15 September 1991
Personal details
Born	26 March 1945 (1945-03-26)
Political party	Mauritian Militant Movement
Alma mater	Bangor University
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Paul Raymond Bérenger GCSK MP (born 26 March 1945) is a Mauritian politician who was Prime Minister of Mauritius from 2003 to 2005. Since 2007, he has been the Leader of the Opposition. Bérenger, who is a Christian of French descent, is the only Prime Minister of Mauritius who was not a Hindu.

In 2003 Berenger took office of Prime Minister following the resignation of then Prime Minister Jugnauth after serving as his deputy for three years .He held the office for a period of 1 year 9 months after his alliance lost the elections to the MLP and its leader, Navin Ramgoolam.

He has also held the office of Leader of the Opposition from 1983 to 1987 and then Minister of External Affairs from 1991 to 1993 and has held the office of Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius twice from 1995 to 1997 and from 2000 to 2003 .In 1982 he was Minister of Finance same as from 2000 to 2003.

Berenger is of French descent and was born in Mauritius. He is one of the most prominent political figure in the island and is considered to be popular as much as grand personalities as Navin Ramgoolam, Pravind Jugnauth & President Anerood Jugnauth .He is the leader of the Mauritian Militant Movement(MMM),which is one of the three most powerful political parties in the country others being the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) & the Mauritian Labour Party(MLP).

Bérenger founded the Mauritian Militant Movement in 1969 along with Dev Veerasawmy and the Jeerubarkhan brothers.It is known to be the best established political force in the country as it has often went for elections alone without big alliance.

After the 2000 elections, the MMM formed a coalition with the Militant Socialist Movement. They came to an agreement that the leader of the MSM, Anerood Jugnauth, would serve as prime minister for the first three years of the five-year term of Parliament and Berenger would take over for the remaining two years of their term. This agreement was fulfilled; Berenger subsequently tried to run on his own in the following elections but lost to Navinchandra Ramgoolam in the 2005 elections.

Bérenger is an alumnus of the University College of North Wales in Bangor, now Bangor University.

Early life and education

Berenger was born to descendant of French origin who were established in Mauritius in ancient generations .He has had his high studies in UK and France and in 1969 graduates from the Bangor University with a BA Hons in philosophy and French. He later worked as Trade Unionist from 1970 to 1982 before winning the general elections .

1976 elections

In 1976 then Prime Minister, Ramgoolam announced general elections and proposed a fight of three, on one hand the Labour Party, the Mauritian Social Democrats and lastly the MMM.

Anerood Jugnauth won over the elections for the Prime Minister Candidate, Jugnauth was President of the MMM and was among few to propose candidacy to contest the post of Prime Minister. He was therefore declared Candidate to the post of Prime Minister while Berenger proposed to held the office of Minister of Finance in the Cabinet.

The results showed in a Hung-parliament situation of the National Assembly of Mauritius. The MMM had won 34 seats, the Labours won 28 seats and the Social democrats won 8 seats. Nevertheless Ramgoolam contracted an alliance with the Social Democrats and made a majority of 36 seats. Jugnauth was appointed as Leader of the Opposition but it was Berenger who was the main opposition leader. Sir Anerood Jugnauth later declared that he was a part-time leader of the opposition. All the Parliamentary works of the opposition leader was being done by Berenger and only made signed by Jugnauth .

1982 Elections

In fear of communal campaigning ,Paul Berenger made an alliance with then Mauritian Socialist Party and its leader ,Harish Boodhoo .He hoped that the PSM would draw most Hindu votes as Hindu was of majority in the country .He still proposed Anerood Jugnauth as prime minister and Harish Boodhoo as Deputy Prime Minister .

In 1982 ,results were outstanding .The MMM had won all 60 seats in the parliament .Paul Berenger as proposed made Jugnauth Prime Minister and Boodhoo his deputy .Berenger was then appointed as Minister of Finance .

1983 Elections and Leader of the Opposition

In early 1983 ,Berenger proposed to make an constitutional amendment ,the one in which the Prime Minister would hold no executive power but the decisions would be taken the Cabinet. Jugnauth expressed his disagreement with him as well Boodhoo .

Berenger proposed to replace Jugnauth and nominated another candidate ,namely Prem Nababsingh to hold the office of Prime Minister .Before passing the motion of no confidence in the parliament ,Jugnauth dissolved the assembly without any notice and resigned on the same as Prime Minister .

The PSM worked with Jugnauth and the team moved into a more powerful party known as the Militant Socialist Movement ,the MSM .Jugnauth led the MSM along with the support of an alliance with the Mauritius Labour Party and the Social Democrats.

The alliance won 41 seats out of 60 and the MMM received only 19 seats .Berenger was appointed as Leader of the opposition up to 1987 .

1995 & Onwards

Winning 3 general elections in a row ,showed Anerood Jugnauth highest peak in politics as he remained in power for more than 13 years from 1982 .Jugnauth had previously made an alliance with Berenger in 1991 and was appointed as Minister of External Affairs .

In 1993 ,Jugnauth dismiss Berenger and all Members of the MMM from the government and thus formed a majority with the other parties .Berenger then made an alliance with Navin Ramgoolam then new leader of the Mauritian Labour Party .They made an alliance and agreed to propose Ramgoolam as Prime Minister and Berenger as his Deputy .

In 1995 ,the MLP-MMM alliance won the general elections creating the second 60-0 of the history after 1982 .The alliance won all the seats in parliament .Even Jugnauth lost his seat .

Berenger was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and served until 1997 when Ramgoolam dismissed the MMM from the government and formed his own government .

2000 Elections and Premiership

In 1999 ,the national electoral polls showed that the Labour Party received the highest appreciation and was the favorite to win the next elections to be held in 2000 .

Berenger and Jugnauth were in a fight when Harish Boodhoo talked to both in a meeting which lasted one hour .It was known as the historical alliance where both the MSM and the MMM would have equal share in the government. It had never been made in the political history of the country .

The Number of Candidates proposed were 30 of the MSM and 30 of the MMM.It was agreed and proposed that Jugnauth will held the office of Prime Minister for 3 years and Berenger would take up for the resting of the term .They also agreed that after the three years ,Jugnauth would be sworn as President and that Pravind Jugnauth would be sworn as Deputy Prime Minister .

Berenger agreed to the terms .The MSM/MMM coalition fought the elections against then government coalition of Labour Party and the Social Democrats .

MSM/MMM won 54 seats out of 60 which was surprising .Navin Ramgoolam was appointed as leader of the Opposition and Anerood Jugnauth made his comeback as Prime Minister .He formed a cabinet of 25 ministers as Berenger as Deputy Prime Minister.

Prime minister

Paul Berenger remained Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius for three years and following the agreement, Anerood Jugnauth resigned in September 2003 after serving for three years.

Leader of the Opposition

Paul Berenger has been the leader of the opposition since 2007 after the MMM lost the general elections in 2005 to the Alliance Sociale coalition led by Dr Navin Ramgoolam. The MMM lost elections again in 2010 and currently have 19 MPs in parliament with Paul Berenger again sitting a leader of opposition. In August 2011, following allegations of corruption made by Paul Berenger on the purchase of the a medical clinic by the state, the ruling Bleu/Blanc/Rouge coalition crumbled with the MSM leaving the government. These events have led the major political parties in Mauritius including Paul Berenger's MMM to start discussions upon the necessity of electoral reform.