Alex Rima Explained

Jean Alex Rima
Order:Minister of Employment
Primeminister:Seewoosagur Ramgoolam
Term Start:1969
Term End:1972 (Revocation)
Order1:Lord Mayor of Port Louis
Term Start1:1965
Term End1:1966
Birth Date:29 August 1929
Birth Place:Mauritius
Party:PMSD

Jean Alex Rima, more commonly known as Alex Rima (born 29 August 1929) is a Mauritian politician.

Political career

Alex Rima was a trade unionist who founded the Organisation de l’Unité des Artisans(OUA) to fight for the rights of manual workers. One of his recruits was Rajpalsingh Allgoo who became OUA's negotiator, and later became an influential figure in industrial relations.[1] [2]

In 1965 Alex Rima was elected as Lord Mayor of Port Louis, replacing A. Monaf Fakira. During Rima's 1-year term A. R. Abdool Carrim was the Deputy Lord Mayor. In 1966 Rima was replaced by D. Moorghen and Carrim was replaced by Norbert Poupard.[3]

At the 1967 general elections Alex Rima was a candidate of the Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate(PMSD) in Constituency No. 4 - Port Louis North and Montagne Longue but he was defeated by pro-Independence IFB-CAM-Labour coalition candidates Foogooa, Bundhun and Rault. However he secured one the eight special seats in the Legislative Council as a nominated member, that is, as a Best Loser. In 1969 he became Minister of Employment and Labour soon after the IFB left the government, and when his party's leader Gaëtan Duval entered a coalition with Ramgoolam's Labour Party.[4] [5]

Larceny charges, conviction and revocation

Alex Rima made a legal precedent for being the first serving minister to be privately prosecuted on a charge of larceny, after which he was convicted and sentenced. Rima was revoked from office after the Court of Appeal upheld his conviction and sentence.[6]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Boodhoo . Sarita . Militating for Workers’ Rights . Mauritius Times . 2015-07-17.
  2. Web site: Rajpalsingh Allgoo: Il faut avoir la flamme dans le coeur pour faire du syndicalisme . Le Mauricien . 2019-04-30.
  3. Web site: List of mayors and Lord Mayors 1961-1982 . City Council of Port Louis . 2024-01-27.
  4. Web site: Results - Legislative Assembly Elections held on 7 August 1967 . Government of Mauritius . 27 January 2024.
  5. Web site: Can the new Prime Minister rise to the national unity challenge ? . L'Express . 2003-10-06.
  6. Web site: Prayag . Touria . Antoine Domingue: It’s obvious that killers, or even serial killers, are on the rampage . L'Express . 2021-01-07.