Mauritius Government - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Official name: Mauritius

Type: independent state, recognizing Elizabeth II as Chief of State

Capital: Port Louis

Political subdit isions'5 organized municipalities and various island dependencies

Legal system: based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas; constitution adopted 6 March 1968

National holiday. Independence Day, 12 March

Branches: executive power exercised by Prime Minister and I9-member Council of Ministers; unicameral legislature (Legislative Assembly) with 62 members elected by direct suffrage, 8 specially elected under “best loser” system

Government leader: Aneerood JUG-NAUTH, Prime Minister (since June 1982)

Suffrage: universal over age 18

Elections: legislative August 1983

Political parties and leaders: the government is currently controlled by a coalition composed of the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), A Jugnauth and the Mauritian Social Democratic Party (PMSD), G. Duval and the Mauritian Workers’ Assembly (RTM), Beergoonath Ghurburrun; the Mauritian Labor Party (MLP) faction, led by party head S Bnolell, voted to leave the coalition in February 1984, the main opposition parties are the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), P. Berenger, and the Rodrigues People’s Organization (OPR)

Voting strength: MSM, 30 of 70 seats in the Assembly; MMM, 21; MLP, 11; PMSD, 4; OPR, 2; and independents, 2

Communists: may be 2,000 sympathizers; several Communist organizations, Mauritius Lenin Youth Organization, Mauritius Women’s Committee, Mauritius Communist Party, Mauritius People’s Progressive Party, Mauritius Young Communist League, Mauritius Liberation Front, Chinese Middle School Friendly Association, Mauritius/ USSR Friendship Society

Other political or pressure groups: various labor unions

Member of: AfDB, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, IWC—International Wheat Council, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

NOTE: The information regarding Mauritius on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Mauritius 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Mauritius 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.