Mauritius holds parliamentary elections at the expense of life of life problems | News

Almost a million people are expected to vote for 62 members of parliament whose serious health condition is on the minds of voters.

The people of Mauritius are voting in a parliamentary election that has been overshadowed by phone calls.

Voting opened at 7am (03:00 GMT) and closed at 6pm (14:00 GMT) on Sunday in the twelfth election since the United Kingdom gained independence in 1968. The results are expected on Monday.

About a million registered voters will elect 62 members of the National Assembly, and the cost of living is at the forefront of electoral issues in the Indian Ocean islands.

Any party or coalition that gets more than half of the seats in parliament also wins the position of prime minister.

Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth’s Militant Socialist Movement and opposition parties have promised to fix this issue in one of the most developed countries in Africa.

Jugnauth is seeking the election less than a month after a landmark deal saw the UK cede sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius following a long-running dispute.

But the leak of secretly recorded phone calls of politicians, politicians and journalists has rattled Jugnauth’s party.

In response to the scandal, authorities on November 1 announced a ban on social media until after the election.

But an uproar from the opposition and local media forced an embarrassing U-turn within 24 hours.

Campaigns are intense, police have been deployed at polling stations to ensure security, according to Election Commissioner Irfan Rahman, as media reports say there are concerns about electoral fraud.

The African Union has sent a team of 30 observers to the nation that is recognized as one of the most stable democratic countries in Africa.

Serious living expenses

The country of about 1.3 million people markets itself as a link between Africa and Asia, deriving much of its income from a thriving offshore finance, tourism and textile sector.

It has forecast economic growth of 6.5 percent this year compared to 7 percent last year but many voters are not feeling the benefits.

Jugnauth’s Alliance Lepep coalition has promised to raise the minimum wage, increase pensions and reduce the value-added tax on some basic goods.

It says it will use payments from the UK under an October deal for Britain to give up the Chagos Islands while keeping the US-UK Diego Garcia airbase.

“The coalition led by the prime minister is selling the card of economic prosperity, which promises more money to different sections of the people,” said political analyst Subash Gobine.

The opposition parties, led by Navin Ramgoolam’s Alliance of Change, have also promised to increase pensions, introduce free transport and internet services and lower fuel prices.