# Leader of the Opposition (Mauritius)

The leader of the opposition (French: Leader de l'opposition) of the Republic of Mauritius is the Member of Parliament who leads the Official Opposition in Mauritius. The leader of the opposition is the leader of the largest political party in the National Assembly that is not in government.
This office is a constitutional one guaranteed by the laws of the country. The incumbent officeholder automatically becomes 7th in the order of precedence. The current leader of the opposition is Georges Pierre Lesjongard, more commonly known as Joe Lesjongard, who was appointed on 15 November 2024.

## Overview

The political party or party alliance which wins the majority of seats in Parliament forms the government and its leader usually becomes the prime minister. The prime minister selects the members of the composition of the Cabinet from elected members of the Assembly, except for the attorney general who may not be an elected member of the Assembly. The political party or alliance which has the second-largest majority forms the Official Opposition and its leader is normally nominated by the president of the Republic as the leader of the opposition.
According to Section 73 of the Constitution of Mauritius, there shall be a leader of the opposition who shall be appointed by the president, where the president has occasion to appoint a leader of the opposition, he shall in his own deliberate judgment appoint –
   (a) where there is one opposition party whose numerical strength in the Assembly is greater than the strength of any other opposition party, the member of the Assembly who is the leader in the Assembly of that party; or
   (b) where there is no such party, the member of the Assembly whose appointment would, in the judgment of the president, be most acceptable to the leaders in the Assembly of the opposition parties:
   Provided that, where occasion arises for making an appointment while Parliament is dissolved, a person who was a member of the Assembly immediately before the dissolution may be appointed leader of the opposition.

## List of leaders of the opposition

| No. | Portrait | Name (birth–death) | Election | Tenure | Tenure | Party | Party |
| No. | Portrait | Name (birth–death) | Election | Took office | Left office | Party | Party |
| 1 | | Sir Gaëtan Duval (1930–1996) | 1967 | 7 August 1967 | 1 December 1969 | | PMSD |
| 2 | | Maurice Lesage (1923–1992) | 1967 | 1 December 1969 | October 1973 | | UDM |
| 3 | | Sookdeo Bissoondoyal (1907–1977) | 1967 | 23 October 1973 | 23 December 1976 | | IFB |
| 4 | | Sir Anerood Jugnauth (1930–2021) | 1976 | 23 December 1976 | 11 June 1982 | | MMM |
| (1) | | Sir Gaëtan Duval (1930–1996) | 1982 | 11 June 1982 | 21 August 1983 | | PMSD |
| 5 | | Paul Bérenger (born 1945) | 1983 | 21 August 1983 | 15 September 1987 | | MMM |
| 6 | | Prem Nababsing (1940–2017) | 1987 | 15 September 1987 | 18 August 1990 | | MMM |
| 7 | | Sir Satcam Boolell (1920–2006) | 1987 | 18 August 1990 | 15 September 1991 | | PTr |
| 8 | | Dr. Navin Ramgoolam (born 1947) | 1991 | 15 September 1991 | 20 December 1995 | | PTr |
| 9 | | Nicholas Von Mally | 1995 | 20 December 1995 | 5 July 1997 | | MR |
| (5) | | Paul Bérenger (born 1945) | 1995 | 5 July 1997 | 11 September 2000 | | MMM |
| (8) | | Dr. Navin Ramgoolam (born 1947) | 2000 | 11 September 2000 | 5 July 2005 | | PTr |
| (5) | | Paul Bérenger (born 1945) | 2005 | 5 July 2005 | 4 April 2006 | | MMM |
| 10 | | Nando Bodha (born 1954) | 2005 | 4 April 2006 | 24 September 2007 | | MSM |
| (5) | | Paul Bérenger (born 1945) | 2010 | 25 September 2007 | 28 January 2013 | | MMM |
| 11 | | Alan Ganoo (born 1951) | 2010 | 28 January 2013 | 1 October 2013 | | MMM |
| (5) | | Paul Bérenger (born 1945) | 2010 | 1 October 2013 | 15 September 2014 | | MMM |
| 12 | | Pravind Jugnauth (born 1961) | 2010 | 15 September 2014 | 13 December 2014 | | MSM |
| (5) | | Paul Bérenger (born 1945) | 2014 | 22 December 2014 | 20 December 2016 | | MMM |
| 13 | | Xavier-Luc Duval (born 1958) | 2014 | 20 December 2016 | 14 November 2019 | | PMSD |
| 14 | | Arvin Boolell (born 1953) | 2019 | 14 November 2019 | 1 March 2021 | | PTr |
| (13) | | Xavier-Luc Duval (born 1958) | 2019 | 4 March 2021 | 15 April 2024 | | PMSD |
| 15 | | Shakeel Mohamed (born 1968) | 2019 | 15 April 2024 | 3 June 2024 | | PTr |
| (14) | | Arvin Boolell (born 1953) | 2019 | 3 June 2024 | 12 November 2024 | | PTr |
| 16 | | Georges Lesjongard | 2024 | 15 November 2024 | Incumbent | | MSM |