Sooroojdev Phokeer
{{Short description|Mauritian politician and ambassador}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
Sooroojdev Phokeer is a politician and Ambassador from Mauritius who previously served as Speaker of the National Assembly of Mauritius.{{Cite web |title=Data on women in national parliament |url=https://data.ipu.org/node/109/data-on-women |access-date=2022-10-13 |website=Inter-Parliamentary Union |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Lansford |first=Tom |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ewgpEAAAQBAJ&dq=Sooroojdev+Phokeer+Mauritius+speaker&pg=RA2-PA1937 |title=Political Handbook of the World 2020-2021 |date=2021-05-31 |publisher=CQ Press |isbn=978-1-5443-8473-3 |language=en}} He has been served as Ambassador to the United States{{Cite book |last=Lansford |first=Tom |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ewgpEAAAQBAJ&dq=Sooroojdev+Phokeer+Mauritius&pg=RA2-PA1939 |title=Political Handbook of the World 2020-2021 |date=2021-05-31 |publisher=CQ Press |isbn=978-1-5443-8473-3 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Order of Precedence and Date of Presentation of Credentials |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/29710.htm |access-date=2022-10-13 |website=U.S. Department of State}} from 2015 to 2019 and Ambassador to Egypt during 2001.{{Cite web |title=Sooroojdev PHOKEER Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Mauritius |url=https://mauritiusassembly.govmu.org/Documents/Bio-Data-PDF/Hon-Sooroojdev-PHOKEER-GCSK-GOSK-Bio-Data.pdf |website=National Assembly of Mauritius}}
Early life
Phokeer was born in 1951.{{cite web |title=Mauritius {{!}} National Assembly |url=https://data.ipu.org/parliament/MU/MU-LC01/ |website=IPU Parline: global data on national parliaments |publisher=IPU}} He grew up in a family of nine children and his father was a civil servant at the Ministry of Works. He received his secondary education at Bhujoharry College in Port Louis, and he later worked at the same school as a teacher of economics.{{cite web |last1=Straehley |first1=Steve |title=Mauritius’ Ambassador to the United States: Who Is Sooroojdev Phokeer? |url=http://www.allgov.com/news/appointments-and-resignations/mauritius-ambassador-to-the-united-states-who-is-sooroojdev-phokeer-160118?news=858124 |publisher=AllGov |access-date=2016-01-18}}
Political career
In 1983 Phokeer joined the MSM. Eight years later he was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1991.{{fact|date=September 2024}}
When the MSM returned to government as part of the MSM/MMM coalition in 2000 Phokeer was appointed as ambassador in Egypt. After 4 years as ambassador then Prime Minister Paul Bérenger sacked Phokeer over serious misconduct in Egypt. However, Bérenger appointed Phokeer as an adviser within his government soon after Phokeer's repatriation to Mauritius in 2004.{{cite web |title=Parlement: pourquoi Bérenger croise le fer avec Phokeer |url=https://lexpress.mu/article/366367/parlement-pourquoi-berenger-croise-fer-phokeer#google_vignette |publisher=L'Express |access-date=2019-12-04}} At the 2005 general elections the MSM was defeated and this prompted Phokeer to travel to England to study law at the University of Huddersfield.{{cite web |last1=Lismore |first1=Paul |title=Would you appoint someone with an insalubrious past as our speaker? |url=https://www.zinfos-moris.com/Paul-Lismore-WOULD-YOU-APPOINT-SOMEONE-WITH-AN-INSALUBRIOUS-PAST-AS-OUR-SPEAKER_a11088.html |publisher=Zinfos Moris |access-date=2019-12-06}}
Soon after its return to government following the 2014 general elections the MSM appointed Phokeer as ambassador of Mauritius in the United States of America.{{cite web |last1=Straehley |first1=Steve |title=Mauritius’ Ambassador to the United States: Who Is Sooroojdev Phokeer? |url=http://www.allgov.com/news/appointments-and-resignations/mauritius-ambassador-to-the-united-states-who-is-sooroojdev-phokeer-160118?news=858124 |publisher=AllGov |access-date=2016-01-18}}
After the 2019 general elections Phokeer replaced Maya Hanoomanjee as Speaker of the National Assembly, after actively supporting the MSM's campaign in Constituency No. 8 Moka-Quartier Militaire.{{cite web |title=Resumption of Parliament - new faces at the helm |url=https://defimedia.info/resumption-parliament-new-faces-helm |publisher=Defimedia |access-date=2019-11-29}}
He resigned from the Speakership and was later succeeded by Adrien Duval.{{Cite web |title=Adrien Duval nommé Speaker : analyses autour d’une "stratégie digne d'un jeu d'échec" {{!}} 5-Plus Dimanche |url=https://www.5plus.mu/actualite/adrien-duval-nomme-speaker-analyses-autour-dune-strategie-digne-dun-jeu-dechec |access-date=2024-08-03 |website=www.5plus.mu}}
References
{{improve categories|date=October 2022}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phokeer, Sooroojdev}}
Category:Mauritian politicians of Indian descent
Category:Speakers of the National Assembly (Mauritius)
Category:Members of the National Assembly (Mauritius)
Category:Militant Socialist Movement politicians
Category:Ambassadors of Mauritius to the United States
Category:Ambassadors of Mauritius to Egypt
{{Mauritius-politician-stub}}