Jaymangal Warns Against Cronyism in Public Appointments

Mauritian politician Laura Jaymangal has spoken out about what she sees as the right and wrong reasons for appointing people to public institutions — drawing a clear line between trust-based nominations and political cronyism. Speaking on the television debate programme *L'heure du débat* on 16 September, Jaymangal addressed a question that regularly divides Mauritian politics: how should governments decide who fills key roles in state bodies, boards, and public institutions? "A government nominates people it believes it can trust," she said. But she was quick to draw the line at what she considers unacceptable motivations. "If I am going to nominate someone because I want to nominate my friend, because they helped me during the campaign, because they financed me during the campaign" — she listed these as examples of exactly the kind of reasoning that should have no place in public appointments. Her remarks, delivered in Mauritian Creole, were pointed and direct. While she did not name individuals or specific cases, the context was clear: the practice of rewarding political allies, campaign helpers, and donors with government positions is a well-known grievance in Mauritius, where nominations to public bodies are made by the executive and have long been a source of political controversy. **What this means** In Mauritius, the government of the day holds significant power over appointments to a wide range of public institutions — from parastatal bodies and regulatory authorities to boards of state-owned companies. Critics across the political spectrum have long argued that these appointments are too often used to reward loyalty rather than select the most qualified candidates. Jaymangal's comments reflect a growing public conversation about transparency and merit in governance — a debate that has gained fresh momentum since the November 2024 general election, which brought a new government to power under Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam and the Labour-led alliance. By publicly stating the criteria she believes should *not* drive nominations, Jaymangal is effectively setting a standard — one that her own party and government will be expected to meet. For ordinary Mauritians, this matters because the quality and independence of public institutions affects everything from the delivery of services to the fairness of regulation. When boards are stacked with political allies, accountability suffers. Whether these words translate into practice will be closely watched in the months ahead. Source: ION News