'I quit!': Mauritius deputy PM resigns after boss fails to appoint Finance minister
Mauritius' Deputy Prime Minister Paul Raymond Bérenger.
Mauritius' Deputy Prime Minister Paul Berenger said on Friday he had resigned over what he described as Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam's failure to appoint a finance minister, a post that Ramgoolam doubles in.
Berenger and his Militant Mauritian Movement (MMM) are the main allies of Ramgoolam's Labour Party in the ruling Alliance du Changement that won elections in November 2024, unseating the incumbent in a vote dominated by a high cost of living crisis.
Mauritius' Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam and his wife Veena Ramgoolam.
Berenger told a news conference on Friday that the government had yet to put in place some of its campaign pledges and this, and a failure by Ramgoolam to appoint a stand-alone finance minister, had prompted him to resign.
The risk of a downgrade by ratings agency Moody's and the possibility of Mauritius being included on a regional Southern and Eastern Africa anti-money laundering grey list also contributed to his decision, Berenger said.
Ramgoolam's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Berenger said he spoke with Ramgoolam late on Thursday and informed him of his intention to quit. He formally submitted his resignation after the news conference. His exit will not lead to the collapse of Ramgoolam's government.
On Tuesday, Ramgoolam said Mauritius expected weaker economic growth and higher inflation this year because of the Middle East conflict.
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