Friday, June 5, 2015

#BBB NEWS| Mauritius Elects First Female President

Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, age 56, was elected as the first female President of Mauritius. She is a leading international scientist who previously directed the Mauritius-headquartered Centre for Phytotherapy Research (CEPHYR), an organization that authorizes the research for plants used in cosmetics, nutrition, and therapy. Photo Credit: Guardian

This Thursday the Parliament of Mauritius, which received independence from Britain in 1968, voted Gurib-Fakim's into the Presidential Office.

Ameenah Gurib-Fakim is the first woman to hold such position in this country.

Her appointment came after former President Kailash Purryag, who was selected by the island's previous Labour Party government, stepped down after having served as Mauritius's President since July of 2012.

Prime Minister Sir Anerood Jugnauth told reporters, “I have always believed in the equality of men and women."

Many officials from the opposition Party came out in support of her, despite the political divide in Mauritius's Parliament.

Her appointment was expected, and widely anticipated, after information that Purryag's January 2015 resignation was announced.

People were not satisfied with candidate Navin Ramgoolam, the previous Labour Party Prime Minister, because of multiple corruption allegations against him.

Ramgoolam, one of the many connivers ousted by the new upstanding government, was expelled from power following charges of conspiracy, cronyism, and money-laundering.

In December of 2014 Ramgoolam's future was secure and bright. He created a new coalition that would have run off with the victory and the consultation of more powers to the seat of the president (which Ramgoolam would then run for) if the public had not turned against the incumbent government.

Nonetheless, many are excited about this advancement and believe that Mauritius is moving towards political success alongside its economic success as one of Africa's richest, democratic, and least corrupt countries.

The recent government has been working for elections on the platform of constitutional reform that focuses on strengthening presidential powers.

According to officials her Inauguration ceremony will take place on Friday.



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