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Navinchandra Ramgoolam (नवीन चन्‍द्र रामगुलाम) (born July 14, 1947) is the current Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius. He first held this office from 1995 to 2000, and was reappointed on 5 July 2005, after his Alliance Sociale (a coalition including his own Labour Party, the Mauritian Party of Xavier-Luc Duval, and several smaller groups) defeated the MMM-MSM coalition of the then-Prime Minister Paul Bérenger in the general elections held on 3 July.

He is the son of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, the father of the nation. 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 into Law by achieving a Master of Laws qualification at the London School of Economics before starting a political career.

His first prime ministership (1995-2000) was marked by two by-elections that he won and marred by island-wide racial riots after the death of Kaya (a 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 in 2000.

Between 2000 and 2005, Navin Ramgoolam was Leader of the Opposition. In 2005, a coalition involving his Labour Party won the elections on the rather controversial promise to introduce, if elected, a free transport service for the elderly and students. He also specified tight deadlines for achieving various other (short-term) populist measures to ensure, amongst other things, that his Party could strengthen their hold on the country in the local elections that followed a few months later in 2005. In contrast, his political opponents found it hard communicate effectively during the various election campaigns of 2005 and were defeated by the multi-party coalition led by Navin Ramgoolam. Ramgoolam publicly regretted, however, his coalition's failure to win the three-quarter majority in the legistlative assembly that would have enabled his government to make constitutional changes more easily.

v • d • e Prime Ministers of Mauritius
Commonwealth realm, 1961-92: S. Ramgoolam* • Jugnauth • Republic, 1992-: Jugnauth • N. Ramgoolam • Jugnauth • Bérenger • N. Ramgoolam *Chief Minister, 1961-68; Prime Minister, 1968-82

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