Vasant Bunwaree
Vasant Kumar Bunwaree (born वसन्त कुमर बुन्वरी on 7 April 1947) is a former CabinetMinister of Mauritius.[1] He was Minister of Education from 13 September 2008 to December 2014in the Cabinet of Navin Ramgoolam. He had previously held the office of Finance Minister from November 1996 to September 2000 and also Minister of Labour from 2005 to 2008.[2]
Vasant Bunwaree वसन्त बुन्वरी | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Education | |
| In office 13 September 2008 – December 2014 | |
| President | Sir Anerood Jugnauth |
| Prime Minister | Navin Ramgoolam |
| Preceded by | Dharam Gokhool |
| Succeeded by | Leela Devi Dookun Luchmun |
| Minister of Labour | |
| In office 5 July 2005 – 13 September 2008 | |
| President | Anerood Jugnauth |
| Prime Minister | Navin Ramgoolam |
| Preceded by | Showkatally Soodhun |
| Succeeded by | Jean Francois Chaumiere |
| Finance Minister of Mauritius | |
| In office 16 November 1996 – 16 September 2000 | |
| President | Cassam Uteem |
| Prime Minister | Navin Ramgoolam |
| Preceded by | Rama Sithanen |
| Succeeded by | Paul Bérenger |
| Member of Parliament for Mahebourg & Plaine Magnien | |
| Assumed office 5 July 2005 | |
| President | Sir Anerood Jugnauth |
| Prime Minister | =Navin Ramgoolam |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 April 1947 Rivière du Rempart, Mauritius |
| Political party | Mauritius Labour Party |
| Occupation | Physician - Cardiology |
| Website | |
After completing his secondary education at Royal College in Port Louis, he took charge as principal of a private secondary institution in Rivière du Rempart, and taught at the same institution for two years. He trained as a doctor at the University of Bordeaux II, FRANCE and was appointed "Docteur en Medicine" in 1977. He later specialised and obtained the "Certificat d'Edudes spéciales en maladies cardiovasculaires" in 1981. He also hold diplomas in Tropical Medicine as well as Human Cytogenetics. In 1982 he joined the government service as the first Specialist in Cardiology with the Ministry of Health and was posted to Victoria Hospital, Mauritius. As Cardiologist, Dr. Bunwaree was responsible for the setting up of a full-fledged ICU and Diagnostic Cardiac Unit at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam National Hospital in view of starting permanent cardiac surgery centre in Mauritius.
Having served as the Vice President and Secretary General of the Mauritian Labour Party, Dr. Bunwaree has been elected as a Member of Parliament in 1987, 1991, 1995, 2005 and 2010. He was considered to be a close confidante of the Prime Minister, and is one of the few remaining Ministers from the era when Navin Ramgoolam took over the leadership of the Labour Party. He was always elected in Constituency No 12, Mahebourg and Plaine Magnien. His tenure as minister was characterised by numerous bold reforms and he presented new labour laws to the parliament which were voted in as the Employment Rights Act (2008) and the Employment Relations Act (2008). These reforms and legislation generated expected criticism from the trade unions, similar to more recent reforms undertaken in the Education sector.