WUNRN
MAURITIUS DESIGNATES ITS FIRST WOMAN PRESIDENT
The
government of Mauritius today designated Ameenah Gurib-Fakim as the Indian
Ocean island nation's new president, making her the first woman to hold the
ceremonial position.
PORT LOUIS:
The government of
Mauritius today designated Ameenah Gurib-Fakim as the Indian Ocean island
nation's new president, making her the first woman to hold the
ceremonial position.
The appointment of Gurib-Fakim, an internationally renowned scientist and
biologist, is subject to parliament approval, due to take place on Thursday.
The opposition has said it will support her appointment, making the vote a mere
formality.
Her inauguration is expected to take place on Friday, officials said.
Gurib-Fakim, 56, will be the first female president of the island, which gained
independence from Britain in 1968 and which replaced Britain's Queen Elizabeth
II as its head of state in 1992.
Former president Kailash Purryag, who had been put in place by the previous
government, stepped down as the island's figurehead on Friday.
He had served as president since July 2012, when he was appointed by the
island's previous Labour party government of former premier Navin Ramgoolam.
The previous government had fought the elections on a platform of delivering
constitutional reform notably with a divisive proposal to strengthen
presidential powers.
Ramgoolam himself had hoped to eventually run for the new, strengthened
position. Since his election defeat Purryag has been seen as an unwanted
figurehead, while Ramgoolam has been embroiled in corruption allegations that
have shocked the country.
Mauritius is one of the richest and least corrupt countries in Africa, a
middle-income country of some 1.3 million people with a per capita GDP of just
over USD 9,000.
Once dependent on sugar exports, the island has built up a strong outsourcing
and financial services sector, and an important tourism industry.