Nita Juddoo: "The MMM Has Distanced Itself from Its Roots"

Nita Juddoo's journey from the militant legacy of the MMM to the presidency of En Avant Moris reflects a path of strong convictions and a clear break. In an interview with Dimanche/L’Hebdo, she shares her disillusionment.

Juddoo represents a generation that grew up under the shadow of activism, never treating it as an end in itself. Deeply committed to the original values of the MMM, she has chosen to make a clear break from a party she believes has become bourgeois and disconnected from its roots.

She was barely a year old when her father, the late Ramduth Jaddoo, joined the MMM. He was arrested following the now-famous student protest against Princess Alexandra of Kent's visit to Mauritius in 1969. "My dad wasn't there, but the police came to our house and arrested him by force," she recalls.

Back then, being a member of the MMM was not a guaranteed path to power. It was a risky struggle marked by police repression and significant material hardships. "Constituency No. 10, Montagne-Blanche/Grande-Rivière-Sud-Est, was far from our home on Ollier Street in Quatre-Bornes. My father returned home late, exhausted, sometimes in danger. I grew up in that political environment."

From a young age, she was steeped in the debates and values of equality and social justice that the MMM represented at the time, such as equal rights, equal opportunities, and defending the underprivileged. Her father's journey, later appointed as an ambassador in Paris, exposed her to the world. She lived in France, England, Seychelles, where her husband, a Supreme Court judge, was stationed for seven years, and even in Canada. "Those years abroad left a profound mark on me. I closely observed international politics. Barack Obama's election remains a fantastic moment for me that strengthened my interest in progressive struggles."

Upon her return to Mauritius, this trained lawyer, currently a lecturer at the African Leadership University, initially hesitated to enter politics. The image of the MMM from the 1970s and 1980s – rebellious, revolutionary, and close to the underprivileged – haunted her. At the end of 2015, a friend suggested she join the party. Refusing to go through her father, she met with Paul Bérenger, Ajay Gunness, and other leaders. In 2016, she joined the regional committee for constituency No. 19 in Rose-Hill, determined to "learn the ropes," inspired by her father's belief that politics requires work, sacrifices, and time.

Shortly after joining, a by-election was called in Quatre-Bornes following Roshi Bhadain's resignation. Paul Bérenger asked her to be a candidate. Surprised but enthusiastic, Nita Juddoo accepted. Despite the support of the activists, she finished second, behind Arvin Boolell, but ahead of Roshi Bhadain.

This moment marked a turning point. "Some long-standing activists openly contested my rapid rise. The day after I joined, I was a candidate," she summarizes with irony, noting that others who had been waiting for their turn were left behind. She gradually sensed a party where collective interests were giving way to personal calculations.

In 2018, she broke with the MMM. Before that, she found herself tossed between several constituencies during the preparations for the 2019 general elections. "There were internal lobbies," she says without naming anyone. "One day, I went to see Paul Bérenger and told him: 'I think I'm going to leave the MMM.' He tried to persuade me to stay and offered me a position on the Central Committee. My response was blunt: 'There are enough flower pots in that Central Committee.'"

Her resignation was made "quietly," without a dramatic press conference or public resentment. In fact, she remains on good terms with many activists, including Paul Bérenger and Joanna Bérenger.

For her, this break with the MMM is not a betrayal but the result of deep disappointment. "I joined the MMM out of nostalgia for the fiery years when the party represented pure activism, intellectual debates, and the fight for fundamental rights. Over time, the party became bourgeois and distanced itself from the ordinary Mauritian. Paul Bérenger, absent from his constituency, embodies this growing distance in my eyes."

Nita Juddoo has since joined En Avant Moris, the new centrist party founded by Patrick Belcourt. "I admired his grassroots work and commitment. He offered me the presidency, and I accepted." Since then, she has been active in constituency No. 19 and in a small group in No. 18. "We do politics by listening to citizens, organizing activities, and remaining present on the ground. I truly enjoy it."

When asked about the values of the MMM, she recalls those that have always motivated her since the fiery years: activism, defense of rights, equity, and social justice. Values she claims to have seen erode over the years. She particularly points out the lack of a strong reaction to the abolition of MPs' pensions or the conflict in Gaza, as well as the successive alliances, particularly with the Labour Party after years of fierce criticism, which she believes have undermined the movement's credibility.

In 2026, amidst the internal crisis within the MMM marked by the "band of 15," Nita Juddoo observes the situation with sadness. She criticizes the "dissidents" for keeping silent for years within the Political Bureau and Central Committee before airing their grievances publicly. "They created this situation by being yes-men and allowing Paul Bérenger to decide everything."

For her, Paul Bérenger remains inseparable from the MMM because he is the last "constant" since the party's creation. However, she laments that the country pays dearly for these internal disputes. The timing is "very poorly chosen": an economic crisis exacerbated by global geopolitical tensions, cities left in neglect after the municipal elections, and a weakened opposition.

She also regrets the lack of genuine renewal in the major parties. "Leaders don’t know how to step down when it’s time."