Mauritian Prime Minister Sir Anerood Jugnauth handed over power to his son Pravind.
Jugnauth, 86, officially handed his resignation to President Ameenah Gurib Fakim – whose role is ceremonial -after long hinting he would step down before his term expires in 2019.
The younger Jugnauth is both finance minister and leader of the ruling Militant Socialist Movement (MSM).
Constitutionally, it is he who takes over if the prime minister resigns.
However the opposition has rejected his “inheritance” of the position, and will be boycotting his inauguration.
Mauritius, an island of 1.3 million inhabitants, regularly tops the Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance, and has held a series of peaceful elections and smooth handovers of power since independence from Britain in 1968.
