Anerood Jugnauth

Sir Anerood Jugnauth, GCSK, KCMG, PC, QC (29 March 1930 – 3 June 2021) was a Mauritian statesman, politician and barrister who served both as President and Prime Minister of Mauritius. He was Member of Parliament for Piton & Riviere Du Rempart. The central figure of Mauritian politics in the 1980s and early 1990s, he was Leader of the Opposition from 1976 to 1982. He served four consecutive terms as prime minister from 1982 to 1995 and again from 2000 to 2003. He was then elected as President from 2003 to 2012. Following his party's victory in the 2014 general elections, he served his sixth and final term as prime minister, becoming the nation's longest serving prime minister with more than 18 years of tenure, overtaking Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, who held the office for 14 years.

Under Jugnauth's leadership, his party/alliances won 5 general parliamentary elections in a row in 1976, 1982, 1983, 1987, and 1991. He then led the MMM in its first electoral campaign and was presented as prime minister in 1976. The MMM won but could not govern due to a hung parliament and Jugnauth became Leader of the Opposition up to 1982 where the MMM-PSM alliance won all the seats. He became prime minister up to 1995. He was appointed again as prime minister in 2000 and finally as President in 2003.

Jugnauth was a cabinet minister during the leadership of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam from 1965 up to 1969. In 1970, he moved out and went to the newly created political party of the Mauritian Militant Movement, where he eventually became its leader in 1982. He created his own political party called Militant Socialist Movement in 1983 and was once more elected. His party remained in power up to 1995.

Jugnauth founded the Militant Socialist Movement party in 1983. He was honoured with Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards for his continued support for India's causes and concerns and for strengthening India's relationship with Mauritius. Following his tenure as President, Jugnauth led an alliance known as "L'Alliance LEPEP" which won the 2014 general elections. He resigned in January 2017 and was succeeded by his son Pravind Jugnauth as prime minister.

Jugnauth was made Queen's Counsel in 1980 and was made a member of the Privy Council in 1983. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1988 when Mauritius was still one of the Queen's realms.