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Arvin Boolell

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The Honorable
Arvin Boolell
GOSK MP
13th Leader of Opposition of Mauritius
In office
14 November 2019 – 1 March 2021
PresidentPrithvirajsing Roopun
Prime MinisterPravind Jugnauth
Preceded byXavier-Luc Duval
Succeeded byXavier-Luc Duval
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
8 September 2008 – 12 December 2014
PresidentSir Anerood Jugnauth
Kailash Purryag
Prime MinisterNavin Ramgoolam
Member of Parliament
for Belle Rose and Quatre-Bornes
Incumbent
Assumed office
17 December 2017
Preceded byRoshi Bhadain
Member of Parliament
for Vieux Grand Port and Rose Belle
In office
30 August 1987 – 10 December 2014
Preceded byAnandisswar Choolun
Succeeded byMahen Seerutun
Majority7990 (35%)[1]
Personal details
Born (1953-05-26) 26 May 1953 (age 71)
Port Louis, British Mauritius
Political partyMauritian Labour Party
OccupationPhysician
Website[1]

Arvin Boolell (born आर्विन बूलेल; May 26, 1953) is a Mauritian politician who served as the Leader of the Opposition from 2019 to 2021, when he resigned. Now in 2024, he serves as the Leader of the Opposition after the resignation of Shakeel Mohamed.

Early life

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Boolell, who was born in an Arya Samajist Indo Mauritian family in Port Louis, is the son of former leader of the Labour Party and former Deputy Prime Minister, Sir Satcam Boolell.[2] His younger brother Satyajit Boolell (also known as Ajit Boolell) became the Director of Public Prosecutions in 2009.[3] He is also former minister Anil Gayan's cousin.[4] Writer, active politician and retired forensics doctor Satish Boolell who was elected Member of Parliament is also his cousin.[5]

He attended secondary school St Mary's College in Rose Hill and then studied medicine in England and Wales.[6] After graduating and becoming a medical practitioner, he graduated with an LLM from the National University of Ireland. He then practiced for sometimes in Wales before coming back to the country.[7]

Political life

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He was elected to the Legislative Assembly for the first time in 1987 in Constituency No 11, Vieux Grand Port and Rose Belle.[8] He has been elected at Constituency No. 11 at all general elections (1987, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010) until 2014.[9] Arvin Boolell was Opposition Whip from 2000 to 2005.[9]

Boolell has served as Minister of Agriculture (later known as Minister of Agro-Industry) from 2005 to 2008. He was involved in negotiations with the European Union over economic issues.[10] Following the cabinet reshuffling of 2008, he became Minister of Foreign Affairs where he remained until 2014.

Following a Labour Party executive committee meeting on 12 May 2015 Arvin Boolell resigned as Labour Party Spokesperson after being verbally abused by backers of Navin Ramgoolam who refused to step down as leader of the party despite having lost the 2014 general elections.[11]

At the 2017 by-elections in Constituency No. 18 (Belle Rose and Quatre Bornes) Arvin Boolell was elected and became member of the national assembly.[12] At the 2019 General Elections he was again elected in Constituency no. 18. Since the Labour Party leader Navin Ramgoolam was not elected as member of parliament, the party chose Arvin Boolell to be its parliamentary leader and being the opposition party with most seats, he became the Leader of the Opposition. He is also the Vice Chairman of Mauritius Labour Party.

Recognition

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In 2011 Arvin Boolell was elevated to the rank of Grand Officer of the Order of the Star and Key of Indian Ocean (G.O.S.K.).[13]

Controversies

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During his term in office as Minister of Foreign Affairs there were international press reports that in 2012 Arvin Boolell sold the island of Agaléga to India as part of a deal to prevent the cancellation of the 1983 Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (Treaty) which is an essential part of the island's Offshore Banking sector.[14] The sale of Agaléga would also enable India to build a military base on the island, which is now evidenced in the heavy build-up of military infrastructure in Agaléga.[15] Details of the deal have not been revealed to the public, although the subsea surveys of the waters of Agalega have confirmed the presence of gigantic oil and gas reserves.[16][17]

References

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  1. ^ "Office of the Electoral Commissioner" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  2. ^ "Decisive moments". L'Express. 25 March 2006. Retrieved 25 March 2006.
  3. ^ "Arvin et Satyajit Boolell : La fierté de leur père". lexpress.mu. L'Express. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  4. ^ "Index Bo". rulers.org. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  5. ^ "Dr Satish Boolell : 30 ans de carrière décortiqués". Defimedia.info. Le Defi Media. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  6. ^ "Son histoire d'amour avec la politique". 5plus.mu. 5Plus Dimanche. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  7. ^ "The Minister". Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  8. ^ "Elected Members 1987". Office of Electoral Commissioner. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  9. ^ a b "Honourable member Dr. Boolell Arvin, GOSK". Mauritius National Assembly. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  10. ^ "The Courier: "Give us what is legitimately ours," Minister of Mauritius for Agro-Industry, Arvin Boolell, tells EU". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2009.
  11. ^ "Labour Party falls into turmoil". The Economist. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  12. ^ "Belle-Rose/Quatre-Bornes : Arvin Boolell remporte une large victoire à l'élection partielle". Business Mega Mauritius. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  13. ^ "Prime Minister's Office (National Day Honours 2011)". Republic of Mauritius portal. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  14. ^ Parmar, S.S. "Abhishek Gupta asked: Has Mauritius offered the lease of Agalega Islands to the Indian Navy? What does it mean for India?". Manohar Parrikar Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  15. ^ Bashfield, Samuel. "Agalega: A glimpse of India's remote island military base". Lowy Institute. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  16. ^ Prayag, Touria. "Arvin Boolell: Agalega has 80% of the world's proven oil reserves and 17% of natural gas". L'Express. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  17. ^ Sidhartha. "Mauritius offers India 2 islands in effort to preserve tax treaty". Times of India TNN. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
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