Panafrican News Agency

Ministerial reshuffle highlighted in Mauritius this week

Port Louis, Mauritius (PANA) - This week was marked in Mauritius by a cabinet reshuffle that saw the first ever appointment of a woman to the post of Vice Prime Minister and the entry of a third woman in the 24-member cabinet.

The ministerial reshuffle followed the resignation of former Vice Prime Minister Showkatally Soodhun a week ago at the request of Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth.

Mrs Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo, who is the new Vice Prime Minister, replaced Mr. Soodhun, while Mrs Roubina Jadoo-Jaunboccus is the Minister of Gender Equality.

In a statement reported by the media, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said: "We have made history by appointing a woman as President of the Republic, another woman as President of the National Assembly, we are again doing history by naming a woman for the first time as Vice Prime Minister."

The Prime Minister also said, as reported by the daily Le Mauricien, that "whenever we have the opportunity to highlight the skills of a woman, we have done it. We are doing it now and we will do it again. "

In the same newspaper, Deputy Prime Minister Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo said it is a historic day. "The Prime Minister believes in the ability of women by appointing the first woman Vice Prime Minister. I am very happy and I will take my responsibilities properly," she said.

For her part, Mrs Roubina Jadoo-Jaunboccus said that her appointment was a new stage in her political career. "It's a great day for women."

The daily Le Défi reports that the new minister said that "the prime minister chose me solely because of my skills. "He trusted me after the work I did as a law-abiding citizen. Now I'm here to work."

Brushing a portrait of the new Vice Prime Minister, Le Defi writes that she is a a lawyer by profession and mother of two children. "She is known for her great discretion," adds the newspaper.

The newspaper writes that the new minister is a lawyer by profession and she has made the news lately, "not for her achievements as a parliamentarian but for her repeated visits to drug traffickers in prison before she entered politics".

According to Le Mauricien, this is the eighth ministerial reshuffle that has taken place in the island since the government came to power in December 2014.

Le Défi recalls the dates of these cabinet reshuffles, saying: "This Government has had a Cabinet that has changed face many times since coming to power. In addition to the scandals that drove some ministers to resign, there was the departure of the Mauritian Social Democratic Party (PMSD) from the government in December 2016, then the handover of power between father and son who reshaped the government. "
-0- PANA NA/MA 18Nov2017