Mauritius blocks social media until after election, opposition and civil society groups cry foul

By Villen Anganan, Reuters

Mauritius' communications regulator ordered all internet service providers to suspend access to social media platforms on Friday until 11 November, a day after the upcoming general election, in a move the opposition said was a ruse to avoid defeat at the polls.

The island nation has been hit by a wiretapping scandal in which some 20 conversations involving politicians, police, lawyers, journalists and members of civil society have been leaked on social media since mid-October, according to media watchdog Reporters Without Borders.

The Information and Communication Technologies Authority said it was imposing a temporary ban on social media platforms in response to "illegal postings".

The Prime Minister's office said the restriction was necessary to preserve the national security and integrity of the country, following the publication of "certain" audio clips.

"A crisis committee is currently meeting to contain the existing risks as soon as possible," the office of Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth said in a statement.

But the opposition said the ban was a political manoeuvre to avoid defeat in the 10 November election, with Jugnauth looking to extend his rule and hold onto the parliamentary majority enjoyed by his Militant Socialist Movement party.

"The outgoing government knows quite well that it's heading towards a defeat. As such it is using all means to stay in power," said Navin Ramgoolam, leader of the Alliance for Change party and Jugnauth's main challenger.

EMTEL, one of the three telecoms operators in the Indian Ocean nation, said it was implementing the directive and warned that "the user experience will be progressively disrupted."

Two civil society groups, the Internet Governance Forum and the Internet Society, warned in a joint statement that "curtailing access to digital platforms would not only stifle democratic processes but also harm the economy, disrupt businesses, and restrict access to essential information and services."

Jugnauth and the police had previously claimed the leaked calls were manipulated using artificial intelligence.

Jugnauth first became prime minister in 2017, when his father stepped down from the post.

Last year, a British court sitting as the final court of appeal for Mauritius upheld Jugnauth's 2019 election win, rejecting an appeal by an opposition candidate who alleged it had been obtained through bribery and undue influence.

Mauritius-based political analyst Jocelyn Chan Low told Reuters the wiretapping scandal would influence the outcome of the poll.

"There is a popular outcry on many alleged scandals which are still unsolved and which have been the focus of these leaks," he said.

- Reuters