2 April 2013 Last updated at 08:28 ET

Mauritius profile

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President: Rajkeswur " Kailash" Purryag

Parliament chose its speaker, Rajkeswur Purryag, as president in July 2012 after the resignation of Anerood Jugnauth.

President Jugnauth stepped down in March in order to join the opposition to Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam.

President Purryag is a longstanding member of the Labour Party leadership and served as Mr Ramgoolam's deputy until being chosen as speaker of parliament in 2000.

Prime minister: Navin Ramgoolam

Navin Ramgoolam has been PM since 2005

Former Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam of the Social Alliance returned to power after defeating Paul Berenger of the Mauritian Militant Movement in elections in July 2005.

The ruling alliance, which included Mr Ramgoolam's Labour Party and the Militant Socialist Movement, was re-elected in a closely fought vote in 2010, defeating the Mauritian Militant Movement led by Mr Berenger.

Both main blocs campaigned on a promise of strengthening the welfare state and social justice.

Born in 1947, Mr Ramgoolam served as prime minister between 1995 and 2000. He is a doctor and lawyer.

His predecessor Paul Berenger, a white Mauritian of French descent, became the island's first non-Hindu prime minister in 2003.

The ruling coalition shrank in August 2011 when the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) leader Pravind Jugnauth said his party was now in opposition. Six ministers from the party had quit in protest against the arrest of the health minister by an anti-corruption watchdog.