| Parliament name |
National Assembly - Assemblée nationale |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
5 May 2010 |
| Purpose of elections |
Elections were held for all the directly elected members of the National Assembly following the early dissolution of this body in March 2010. General elections had previously been held in July 2005. |
On 31 March 2010, President Anerood Jungnauth dissolved the National Assembly for early elections. The following day, Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam announced that they would be held on 5 May.
In the previous elections held in July 2005, Mr. Ramgoolam's Social Alliance (AS) took 38 of the 62 directly elected seats, 16 more than the coalition of the Militant Mauritian Movement (MMM) and the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), led by the then Prime Minister Paul Berenger. The Organization of the People of Rodrigues (OPR) retained its two seats. Mr. Ramgoolam, who had served as Prime Minister between 1995 and 2000, was elected Prime Minister in July 2005. The AS comprised Prime Minister Ramgoolam's Labour Party and the Xavier-Luc Duval Party, as well as other smaller parties.
Upon assuming office, Prime Minister Ramgoolam - the son of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, who had led the island to independence from Britain in 1968 - slashed red-tape to attract foreign investors. The country's economic policies enabled it to cope well with the global economic crisis. It enjoys a stable economy with a per capita income of US$ 6,431. Its economy is expected to grow by 4.6 per cent in 2010, up from 3.1 per cent in 2009.
The country of 1.2 million inhabitants comprises four ethnic groups: Hindus, Muslims, Chinese, and the remaining "general population" (see note). It has nearly always had a prime minister from the Hindu majority, except for Mr. Berenger (MMM), who is of French origin representing the general population community.
Candidates are required by the Constitution to declare their ethnicity. In 2010, 104 candidates refused to do so, resulting in their candidatures being rejected. Consequently, 529 candidates were vying for the 62 seats at stake. Up to eight additional seats, or "best losers" seats, are allocated to non-elected party candidates in order to ensure an adequate representation of each community in the National Assembly.
In the 2010 elections, Prime Minister Ramgoolam's Labour Party formed the Alliance of the Future, comprising his Labour Party (PTR), the Mauritian Social Democrat Party (PMSD) and the MSM of Mr. Pravind Jugnauth, son of the incumbent President. Former prime minister Berenger led the Alliance of the Heart, comprising his MMM, the National Union (UN) and the Mauritian Socialist Democratic Movement (MMSD).
Both coalitions campaigned on a similar platform, pledging to alleviate poverty, strengthen the welfare state and increase social justice.
Prime Minister Ramgoolam also promised to make ownership of the vast sugarcane plantations, currently controlled by Mauritians of French descent, accessible to everyone.
Mr. Berenger promised to increase the number of women in parliament by forcing political parties to have at least one woman candidate in every constituency. Only eight of the 60 candidates of his Alliance of the Heart were women, five fewer than the Prime Minister's Alliance of the Future. Mr. Berenger accused the national television network of favouring the Prime Minister's Alliance.
In all, 77.82 per cent of the nearly 880,000 registered voters turned out at the polls.
Voters who sent their name and identity card number via text message to the election commission were able to receive their electoral roll number and polling station on their mobile phones.
The African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) observed the elections. The SADC concluded that the elections had been free and fair. The AU considered that the polls had been well organised but underscored the need to better supervise the identification of voters so as to avoid any risk of fraud.
The final results gave 41 seats to Prime Minister Ramgoolam's Alliance of the Future. The Alliance of the Heart took 18 seats. The remainder went to small parties. The Rodrigues Movement and the Mauritian Solidarity Front (FSM) took two seats and one seat respectively. In all, 10 women were elected.
The Electoral Commission announced the seven "best losers": four from the Alliance of the Future, two from the Alliance of the Heart took and one from the OPR.
Three of the seven appointed members were women, bringing the total number of women to 13.
On 18 May, the newly elected National Assembly held its first session and re-elected Mr. Rajkeswur Purryag, an appointed member, as its Speaker.
In the meantime, on 14 May, Mr. Ramgoolam formed a new government comprising the parties in the Alliance of the Future.
Note:
According to the 1968 Constitution, the population of Mauritius includes "a Hindu community, a Muslim community and a Sino-Mauritian community; and every person who does not appear, from his way of life, to belong to one or other of those 3 communities shall be regarded as belonging to the General Population, which shall itself be regarded as a fourth community". |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 5 May 2010 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
879'897
684'768 (77.82%)
5'776
678'992 |
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
Directly elected |
Nominated |
|
|
| Labour Party (PTR) - Mauritian Social Democrat Party (PMSD) - Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) |
45
|
41 |
4 |
|
|
| Militant Mauritian Movement (MMM)-National Union (UN)-Mauritian Socialist Democratic Movement (MMSD) |
20
|
18 |
2 |
|
|
| Rodrigues Movement |
2
|
2 |
0 |
|
|
| Mauritian Solidarity Front (FSM) |
1
|
1 |
0 |
|
|
| Organization of the People of Rodrigues (OPR) |
1
|
0 |
1 |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
56
13
18.84%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
| Comments |
Sources:
National Assembly (02.06.2010)
http://www.gov.mu/portal/site/eco |
|
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
