Navin Ramgoolam

The Honourable Navin Ramgoolam नवीन चन्‍द्र रामगुलाम GCSK FRCP
Prime Minister of Mauritius
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 July 2005
President	Anerood Jugnauth
Deputy	Rashid Beebeejaun Xavier Luc Duval Pravind Jugnauth
Preceded by	Paul Bérenger
In office 22 December 1995 – 17 September 2000
President	Cassam Uteem
Preceded by	Anerood Jugnauth
Succeeded by	Anerood Jugnauth
Member of Parliament for Triolet
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 July 1991
Preceded by	Dinesh Ramjuttun
Leader of Opposition
In office 5 July 2000 – 5 July 2005
Prime Minister	Anerood Jugnauth
Preceded by	Anerood Jugnauth
Succeeded by	Pravind Jugnauth
Personal details
Born	(1947-07-14) 14 July 1947 British Mauritius
Political party	Mauritian Labour Party
Spouse	Veena Ramgoolam
Alma mater	London School of Economics
Website	Official site

Navinchandra Ramgoolam (नवीन चन्‍द्र रामगुलाम), GCSK, FRCP, MP (born 14 July 1947) is the current Prime Minister of Mauritius. He first held this office from 1995 to 2000, and was reappointed in 2005, after his Alliance Sociale (a coalition including his own Mauritian Labour Party, the Mauritian Party of Xavier-Luc Duval, and several smaller groups) defeated the Mauritian Militant Movement-Militant Socialist Movement coalition of then Prime Minister Paul Bérenger in the 2005 general elections.

Life and career

He is the son of the late Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam and Lady Sushil Ramgoolam. He trained as a doctor 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.

Navin Ramgoolam assumed leadership of Mauritius Labour Party in 1991, succeeding Sir Satcam Boolell at this post. He contested his first General election in 1991 as leader of Mauritius Labour Party. The Labour Party was defeated by the MSM-MMM - coalition between party of then incumbent Prime Minister, Sir Aneerood Jugnauth, and Paul Raymond Berenger- winning only 3 seats out of 60. However, Navin Ramgoolam was elected first member of Parliament for the Constituency of Pamplemousse-Triolet, the previous constituency of his late father. Since then, he has always been elected at top of the list. In 1994, his party joined hands with the Mouvement Militant Mauricien and they won the 2 seats contested in by-election in January 1995 in constituency of Rose-Hill-Stanley. Navin Ramgoolam then assumed Prime ministership of the country in December 1995 following the landslide victory in the 1995 General election in which the coalition he led won all the 60 seats in parliament. His first prime ministership was marked by two by-elections that he won and marred by island-wide racial riots after the death of Joseph Reginald Topize, also known as "Kaya", the famous Seggae singer of creole origin in prison. In 2000 he was defeated by two political leaders, Paul Bérenger and Anerood Jugnauth, who joined hands to oust him out power, but was still elected as first representative of his constituency in National Assembly.

Between 2000 and 2005, Navin Ramgoolam was Leader of the Opposition. In 2005, a coalition the Social Alliance led by Labour Party won the elections. Navin Ramgoolam kept his promise to introduce free transport services for the elderly as a tribute for their efforts to bring Mauritius to where it stands and students for they are the future of the nation. He also specified tight deadlines for achieving various other (short-term) macroeconomic measures to ensure the country sustains development. These involved tax reform amongst others.

During the general election of 2010, Navin Ramgoolam was re-elected as prime minister and the Mauritius Labour Party won a majority of 41 seats against 18 seats by the MMM of Paul Berenger and 1 seat went to the Cehl Meeah of the FSM. The good handle of the economic issues, ensuring an improved growth, during the global financial crisis was a determining factor in his winning the election with a more comfortable margin than in 2005. The Labour Party won 29 seats out of 30 in rural constituencies and 12 seats of out 30 in urban constituencies. This is the first time since 1991 elections that a Prime Minister is reconducted to a second consecutive term.