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Parliament name National Assembly - Assemblée nationale More photos  >>> Structure of parliament Unicameral Affiliation to the IPU Yes Affiliation date(s) 1996 - LEADERSHIP President Santi Bai Hanoomanjee (F)  Notes Elected on 22 Dec. 2014. Secretary General Safeena Lotun Muhammad (F)  COMPOSITION Members (statutory / current number) 69 / 69 PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN More statistics  >>> Women (current number) 8 (11.59%) Mode of designation directly elected 62 appointed 7 Notes Appointed members: the Electoral Supervisory Commission may nominate a maximum of eight additional members with a view to correcting any imbalance in community representation in parliament. Term 5 years Last renewal dates 10 December 2014 (View details) CONTACT INFORMATION Address National Assembly PORT LOUIS (Export mailing lists) Phone (230) 201 14 14 Fax (230) 212 83 64 E-mail clerk@govmu.org sblotun@govmu.org Website http://mauritiusassembly.govmu.org/English/Pages/default.aspx

Parliament name National Assembly - Assemblée nationale Structure of parliament Unicameral LEGAL FRAMEWORK Electoral law 11 May 1968 Last amendment: 1991 Mode of designation directly elected 62 appointed 7 Constituencies - 20 multi-member (3 seats) constituencies - 1 multi-member (2 seats) constituency ( island of Rodrigues) Voting system Majority: Block vote. Each elector casts as many votes as the number of candidates elected in each constituency. The three candidates (2 for Rodrigues) receiving the largest number of votes being declared elected. The unsuccessful candidates with the highest number of votes (best losers) are designated by an electoral commission as the "additional" members of the Assembly in order to balance the representation of ethnic communities. Vacancies arising between general elections are filled through by elections (elective seats) or by the highest placed unsuccessful candidate (designated seats). Voting is not compulsory. Voter requirements - age: 18 years - British Commonwealth citizenship - residence in Mauritius for not less than two years or domiciled in the country on a prescribed date - disqualifications: insanity, electoral offences, imprisonment exceeding 12 months CANDIDATES Eligibility - age: 18 years - British Commonwealth citizenship - residence in Mauritius for at least two years before the date of nomination (and for six months immediately before that date) - ability to speak and read English with a degree of proficiency sufficient to allow for taking an active part in Assembly proceedings - ineligibilities: allegiance to a State outside the Commonwealth, undischarged bankruptcy, imprisonment exceeding 12 months, electoral offences, undisclosed government contractors Incompatibilities - public or local government officers - Speaker or Deputy Speaker must not be a Minister Candidacy requirements - nomination by at least six electors of the constituency - deposit of approximately US$25, reimbursed if the candidate polls at least 10% of the votes cast

Parliament name National Assembly - Assemblée nationale Structure of parliament Unicameral BACKGROUND Dates of election / renewal (from/to) 10 December 2014 Timing and scope of renewal The opposition Lepep Alliance (see note), led by 84-year-old former President Anerood Jugnauth, won 47 of the 62 directly-elected seats in the 69-member Assembly. The coalition formed by the outgoing Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam's Labour Party (PTR) and the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) of Paul Berenger took 13 seats. Mr. Ramgoolam himself lost the seat that he had held for 23 years. On 15 December, President Kailash Purryag appointed Mr. Jugnauth as Prime Minister, and the government was sworn in on 17 December. Mr. Jugnauth and Mr. Ramgoolam have alternated as Prime Minister since 1982, except for a brief interlude when Mr. Berenger was Prime Minister between 2003 and 2005. On 22 December, the National Assembly elected Ms. Santi Bai Hanoomanjee (Lepep Alliance) as its new Speaker, who thereby became the first woman Speaker of the country. During the election campaign, the Lepep Alliance promised to boost the economy to achieve 6 per cent annual growth and to expand manufacturing. The PTR-MMM coalition promised to create between 60,000 to 75,000 jobs by the end of the next term and to double the economic growth rate to 5.5 per cent. It also promised to amend the Constitution so the President - currently a ceremonial post indirectly elected by Parliament - would be directly elected; a proposal opposed by the Lepep Alliance. Under the PTR-MMM's proposal, Mr. Ramgoolam would have become a President with expanded powers with MMM leader Bérenger as Prime Minister. Note: The Lepep alliance included the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) led by Mr. Pravind Jugnauth, the Mauritian Social Democrat Party (PMSD) of Mr. Xavier Luc Duval and the Muvman Liberater (ML) of Mr. Ivan Collendavelloo. Date of previous elections: 5 May 2010 Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: 6 October 2014 Timing of election: Early elections Expected date of next elections: December 2019 Number of seats at stake: 62 (full renewal) Number of candidates: 739 (611 men, 128 women) Percentage of women candidates: 17.3% Number of parties contesting the election: 45 (41 in Mauritius and four in the island of Rodrigues) Number of parties winning seats: 3 (2 coalitions and one party) Alternation of power: Yes Number of parties in government: 3 Names of parties in government: Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), Mauritian Social Democrat Party (PMSD) and Muvman Liberater (ML) Date of the first session of the new parliament: 22 December 2014 Name of the new Speaker: Ms. Santi Bai Hanoomanjee (Lepep Alliance) STATISTICS Voter turnout Round no 1 10 December 2014 Number of registered electors Voters Blank or invalid ballot papers Valid votes 936'975 694'360 (74.11%) Notes Distribution of votes Round no 1 Political group Candidates Votes % of votes Lepep Alliance Labour Party (PTr) - Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) Organization of the People of Rodrigues (OPR) Distribution of seats Round no 1 Political Group Total of seats Directly elected Nominated Lepep Alliance 51 47 4 Labour Party (PTr) - Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) 16 13 3 Organization of the People of Rodrigues (OPR) 2 2 0 Distribution of seats according to sex Men Women Percent of women 61 8 11.59% Distribution of seats according to age Distribution of seats according to profession Comments Eight women were directly elected; none were appointed. Sources: National Assembly (14.01.2014) Office of the Electoral Commissioner (11.02.2015) http://electoral.govmu.org

Parliament name National Assembly - Assemblée nationale Structure of parliament Unicameral APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE Title Speaker of the National Assembly Term - duration: 5 years (term of House) - reasons for interruption of the term: resignation, Speaker's responsibility called into question, death Appointment - elected by all Members of the National Assembly at the beginning of the legislature - before Members have been sworn in Eligibility - any Member may be a candidate Voting system - formal, one-round vote by secret ballot - a simple majority is required Procedures / results - the Clerk presides over the Assembly during the voting - the Clerk supervises the voting - the Clerk announces the results without delay - the results cannot be challenged STATUS Status - ranks fifth in the hierarchy of the State - represents the Assembly in international bodies - is ex officio President of the Committee on Selection - is ex officio President of the Committee on Standing Orders - in the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker can assume his/her role and functions, and in the case of absence or illness, a Member elected by secret ballot for the sitting only Board Material facilities - Rs. 38,000/month - representation allowance: Rs. 6,000/month + expense allowance: Rs. 5,000/month - official residence - official car with chauffeur - secretariat - domestic staff - bodyguards FUNCTIONS Organization of parliamentary business - organizes the debates and sets speaking time - examines the admissibility of bills and amendments - appoints standing committees and their presidents - appoints ad hoc committees Chairing of public sittings - can open, adjourn and close sittings - ensures respect for provisions of the Constitution and Standing Orders - takes disciplinary measures in the event of disturbance, and lifts such measures - gives and withdraws permission to speak - establishes the order in which amendments are taken up - calls for a vote, decides how it is to be carried out, verifies the voting procedure and cancels a vote in the event of irregularities - checks the quorum, only at Members' request - interprets the rules or other regulations governing the life of the Assembly, based on precedents - exceptionally has discretionary power to give the floor outside the agenda and thus organizes impromptu debates Special powers - supervises the budget of the Assembly - is responsible for safety, and in this capacity, can call the police in the event of disturbance in the Assembly Speaking and voting rights, other functions - takes part in voting in case of a tie

This page was last updated on 11 February 2015
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