Anerood Jugnauth
Sir Anerood Jugnauth (आनेरूद जुग्नौथ), KCMG, QC, GCSK, PC, LLB, GOLH, GOP, ORS (born on 29 March 1930) is the President of Mauritius.
He served as prime minister from 1982 to 1995, when he was voted out of office. He was the prime minister who held the office for the longest run of complete sixteen years overtaking Seewoosagur Ramgoolam who held the office for fourteen years. As leader of the Militant Socialist Movement, he became prime minister again after the 2000 elections. 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 .
Early Career and Education
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 in 1963.
He joined the All Mauritius Hindu Congress in 1965. State Minister for Development in the government of Seewoosagur Ramgoolam from 1965 to 1966, he was promoted Minister of Labour in November 1966. He took part in the London Constitutional Conference on Mauritius. He resigned from his office in April 1967.
Anerood Jugnauth served as a magistrate shortly after his resignation. In 1969, he was promoted to the Crown Law Office. In 1971, he was made Senior Crown Counsel.
In the beginning of the 70s, Anerood Jugnauth joined the Mouvement Militant Mauricien. 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. In 1965, he joined the All Mauritius Hindu Congress. He also attended the London Constitutional Conference on Mauritius in 1965, and was State Minister of Development under Seewoosagur Ramgoolam from 1965 to 1966 and the Minister of Labour from 1966 to 1967. He became Leader of Opposition from December 1976 to June 1982, and he joined the Mauritian Militant Movement in 1980. He is one of few Mauritians to holds the Queen's counsel title and also to be titled to the Order of St Michael and St George.
Party politics
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. His years as prime minister were marked with social tension, due to continuous hostility of the then-government towards the Muslim community[citation needed]. He was promoted to the rank of Knight by Elizabeth II in 1980. He is also 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 with high economic feasibility. Jugnauth is credited with the legacy of Mauritius' "economic miracle" of the 1980s - a set of liberal policies such as the creation of a duty-free trade zone and establishing Mauritius as a leader in textiles production - which allowed the island to develop into an economic powerhouse in the region. His time in office was also marked by controversy and social tensions between various ethnic groups.[citation needed]
The Founder of the MSM
Jugnauth founded the Militant Socialist Movement on 8 April 1983 after the MMM/PSM alliance broke.
Re-elected at the general elections held on 23 August 1983, Anerood Jugnauth once more served as Prime Minister. At the general elections held on 15 September 1991, he was once more elected and continued to serve as Prime Minister.
After he lost the general elections held on 20 December 1995, he resigned as Prime Minister. From December 1995 to September 2000, he reorganised the structures of the MSM.
Anerood Jugnauth stood as candidate at the by-election held in constituency No. 9 (Flacq/Bon Acceuil) in April 1998 but was defeated. He immediately initiated the idea of an MSM/MMM federation which eventually took shape in January 1999. However, the Federation was dissolved after the defeat of its candidate at the by-election held on 19 September 1999.
Anerood Jugnauth founded the MSM/MMM Alliance together with Paul Bérenger, leader of the MMM, on 14 August 2000, based on equal sharing of power. At the general elections held on 11 September 2000, he is elected as first member of constituency No 7 (Piton/Rivière du Rempart) and was appointed as Prime Minister.
Prime Minister
Swept to power in 1982 in a dramatic election in which his MMM-PSM alliance won all seats in the Legislative Assembly. When he took the office, the country was wrecked by chronic unemployment, rapidly rising inflation and the infinite expectations of a volatile and highly politicised electorate. All this was set against the background of the island's potentially explosive melting pot of different races, cultures and religions, drawn from three continents.
Within months of his election victory, he saw his massive and unassailable majority collapsing before his eyes as his political party tore itself apart through bitter in-fighting over personality and policy. He presided over the country's rapid industrialisation.
Anerood Jugnauth resigned as Prime Minister on the 30th of September 2003 and was sworn on as President of the Republic of Mauritius on the 7th of October 2003.
Family Life
Jugnauth married Sarojini Ballah on 18 December 1957 and he is the father of two children: Pravind and Shalini). He is the grandfather of five grandchildren: Anusha, Divya, Sonika, Sonali and Sara.
President
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". Jugnauth was elected to the ceremonial post of president in 2003. After five years in office, he was re-elected by the National Assembly in a unanimous vote on 19 September 2008, supported by both the government and the opposition.
Titles
- Queen's Counsel (1980)
- Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council (1983)
- Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (1988)
- Grand Prix of the Order of La Pléiade (1984)
- Honourary Doctorate from Aix-Marseille University (March 1985)
- Doctor of Civil Law (Honoris Causa) from the University of Mauritius (May 1985)
- Order of the Rising Sun (January 1988)
- Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour (March 1990)
- Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (2003)
Jugnauth will bear the title Right Honorable for life and the title Excellency while he is president. He is also entiltled to use MP post nominal and Prefix as he was an MP for more than 35 years .[1]
References
- ^ "Jugnauth re-elected Mauritius president", AFP, September 20, 2008.
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- Orphaned articles from February 2009
- Presidents of Mauritius
- Prime Ministers of Mauritius
- Current national leaders
- Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
- 1930 births
- Politicians of Indian descent
- Living people
- Mauritian Hindus
- Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
- People from Rivière du Rempart District