PORT LOUIS - Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth conceded Monday that his coalition was heading for a major drubbing in hotly disputed legislative elections, paving the way for the opposition to take power.
Final results from Sunday's vote have yet to be released, but opposition leader Navin Ramgoolam looked set to become prime minister for the third time at the head of his Alliance of Change coalition.
Jugnauth said his Lepep alliance, led by his Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), was "heading towards a huge defeat" after the elections in one of Africa's most stable and prosperous democracies.
"The people have chosen another team to lead the country," Jugnauth, who has been prime minister of the Indian Ocean island nation since 2017, told reporters.
"We must respect this choice... and we wish the country and the population good luck."
Results are likely to be announced later Monday, with delays in counting caused by some election day incidents as officials were taking ballot boxes from polling stations to tallying centres, media reports said.
The winner-takes-all election model means single coalitions often dominate the 70-seat National Assembly.
Sixty-two seats were up for grabs Sunday, with the remaining eight allocated under what is dubbed the "best loser" system.
Only last month, Jugnauth was celebrating a historic deal with Britain for Mauritius to regain sovereignty over the Chagos Islands following a long-running dispute.
Jugnauth, who first became prime minister after his father stepped down and then won the 2019 election, had portrayed himself as the candidate for continuity.
But the vote was overshadowed by an explosive wire-tapping scandal, when secretly recorded phone calls of politicians, diplomats, members of civil society and journalists were leaked online.
The revelations led the authorities to impose a social media ban just days ahead of the election, before it was lifted in the face of media and opposition outrage.
The move nevertheless added to concerns that Mauritius's much-vaunted democracy and civil liberties were being gradually eroded.
During the campaign, both camps promised to improve the lot of ordinary Mauritians who face cost-of-living difficulties despite strong economic growth.
Measures outlined in the Alliance of Change manifesto included the creation of a fund to support families facing hardship, increasing pensions and reducing fuel prices, as well as doing more to tackle corruption and boosting the green economy.
It also called for constitutional and electoral reforms including changing how the president and parliament speaker are chosen.
- 'Waiting for liberation' -
Both Jugnauth and Ramgoolam are members of dynasties that have dominated the leadership of Mauritius since it became independent from Britain in 1968.
Ramgoolam, 77, is the son of Seewoosagur Ramgoolam -- who led Mauritius to independence -- and served as prime minister between 1995 and 2000 and again from 2005 to 2014.
On Sunday, he had voiced optimism that his bloc would win.
"We are heading towards a big victory tomorrow. The people are waiting for this liberation," he told reporters.
Ramgoolam had warned about the risk of fraud, but later said voting went off largely without incident, although police said there were some incidents after polling stations closed.
The majority-Hindu nation has seen substantial stability and growth since independence, building an economy based on tourism as well as financial services and textile manufacturing.
Gross domestic product per capita in 2022 was more than $10,000, according to the World Bank. But analysts have highlighted growing concerns about governance and corruption.
The island is renowned for its spectacular palm-fringed white beaches and turquoise waters, attracting 1.3 million visitors last year.
The Chagos deal was hailed as the completion of the "decolonisation" of Mauritius, though Britain will retain a lease for a joint US military base on the island of Diego Garcia for an "initial" 99 years.