“This morning, I submitted my resignation from the government and all MSM bodies,” Bodha said in a statement.

Bodha, an MSM stalwart who served as foreign minister since November 2019, also submitted his letter of resignation to the Mauritian president.

“The culture of power and the functioning of the MSM no longer correspond to the values and principles that have always marked my political career. Today, I want my political struggle to take a new direction,” he said.

Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth did not immediately respond publicly to the foreign minister’s resignation.

Bodha served as secretary-general of the MSM before being elected to parliament as an MP in 2000. He headed various ministries in government, and served as opposition leader for a time.

Mauritius, an Indian Ocean island nation home to 1.3 million people, has evolved from a poor, agriculture-based economy to a relatively wealthy financial services hub and tourist beacon.