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Mauritius Politics of the Republic of Mauritius
Mauritius became the twenty-ninth republic under the
British
Commonwealth on March 12, 1992. Even during the transition
period, the varied and lively social and political forces
of the
country manifested themselves. The former governor
general, Sir
Veerasamy Ringadoo, a Hindu, was appointed first president
for
three months to appease Hindu voters. On July 1, in
accordance
with an electoral pact between the ruling parties, the MSM
and
the MMM, the MMM obtained the post of president for Cassam
Uteem,
a Muslim and former deputy leader of the party. His
appointment
aroused widespread opposition from MSM politicians and
from the
island's Hindu majority, the source of much MSM support.
Critics
feared that Uteem, formerly minister of industry and
industrial
technology, would unduly politicize his office and promote
a
strongly pro-Muslim agenda. Upon taking office, Uteem
tried to
assuage these misgivings by stating that he would look
after the
interests of all Mauritians, regardless of religion,
ethnicity,
or politics. He also said that he would play an active
(not
merely ceremonial), impartial role in the political life
of the
country.
Although the MLP and PMSD suffered heavy electoral
losses in
the September 1991 general election and were faced with
internal
weakness, they attempted to act as an assertive and
contentious
opposition. The PMSD lost its veteran leader Sir Gaetan
Duval at
the end of 1991 after his retirement. The MLP's leader,
Dr. Navin
Ramgoolam, has been attacked by his own political allies
for his
inexperience in high office and frequent overseas travels.
The
opposition was quick to criticize the prime minister, Sir
Anerood
Jugnauth, for issuing a new MR20 bank note with the image
of the
prime minister's wife in mid-1992. In addition, the
opposition
and the ruling coalition have taken each other to court
over
charges of fraud in the 1991 election.
A particularly acrimonious row developed over
Ramgoolam's
absence from parliament beginning in July 1992 in order to
pursue
a law degree in London. The speaker of the National
Assembly
claimed that the MLP leader violated rules relating to
absences
by members of parliament. The case was referred to the
Supreme
Court. The Ramgoolam affair not only has prompted
grumbling
within the MLP but also has highlighted the tension within
the
ruling coalition, namely, the continuing friction between
Paul
Bérenger, external affairs minister and secretary general
of the
MMM, and Prime Minister Jugnauth. Bérenger criticized
Jugnauth
for calling the National Assembly out of recess while
Ramgoolam
was out of the country, claiming that the prime minister
was
merely creating another pretext for stripping the MLP
leader of
his seat.
Matters came to a head in August 1993 when the prime
minister
dismissed Bérenger because of his continuing criticism of
government policy. The ouster led to a split in the MMM
between
members of the party who remained allied with the
government of
MSM Prime Minister Jugnauth, led by Deputy Prime Minister
Prem
Nababsing, and those MMM parliamentary members who
supported
Bérenger and went into opposition. Bérenger declined to
become
opposition leader, although his group was the largest
single
opposition element; he allowed the leader of the Labor
Party,
Navin Ramgoolam, to continue as opposition leader. In
April 1994,
Bérenger and Navin Ramgoolam reached an electoral
agreement
according to which the two groups were to cooperate.
Data as of August 1994
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