Nando Bodha Calls Out Two Years of Alliance du Changement Rule

Two years after the Alliance du Changement swept to power in Mauritius following its historic November 2023 general election victory, one of the coalition's own political figures has delivered a stinging verdict on its performance.

Nando Bodha, leader of the Rassemblement Mauricien, a party within the broader alliance that ousted the previous Lepep government, says the administration is suffering from what he describes as a crisis of confidence and leadership. Speaking to ION News, Bodha argued that the government was handed a blank cheque of trust by the Mauritian population, who hoped for genuine renewal after years of institutional drift under the previous regime. That trust, he says, has not been honoured.

According to Bodha, the daily realities facing ordinary Mauritians have not improved. He lists the cost of living, purchasing power, water shortages, housing and youth unemployment as persistent and unresolved concerns. These are issues that resonate widely on the island, where water supply cuts remain a recurring problem in many districts and affordable housing queues stretch into the tens of thousands.

Bodha also singled out the government's pension reform as a source of anxiety for many citizens. The reform, which has drawn criticism from various quarters, touches on retirement income arrangements that large numbers of Mauritians depend on. He also criticised the pace of government appointments, the absence of concrete achievements and what he sees as weak management of public institutions.

His sharpest line was reserved for the nature of governing itself. He said governing is not about making announcements. It is about anticipating, deciding, executing and being accountable.

On the economic front, Bodha cited a set of figures that paint a mixed picture. GDP growth stands at 3.2 percent for 2025, with average inflation at 3.7 percent. More concerning, he said, is a public debt estimated at 87.8 percent of GDP and a budget deficit running at 7.1 percent. Those numbers place Mauritius under significant fiscal pressure and limit the government's room to invest in public services or stimulate the economy without increasing borrowing.

What this means: Bodha's critique matters not just as opposition rhetoric but because he comes from within the alliance that brought the current government to power. His comments signal growing tensions inside the ruling coalition less than two years into its mandate, and they put pressure on the government to show measurable results before political fractures widen. For everyday Mauritians, the issues he raises, from water shortages to pension uncertainty to youth joblessness, are not abstract. They are lived realities that will shape public sentiment ahead of any future electoral test.

Source: ION News