Mauritian general election, 2010

The parliamentary elections in Mauritius in 2010 were carried out on 5 May 2010 in the island nation of Mauritius. A coalition consisting of the parties Parti Travailliste (Labour Party ) under Navin Ramgoolam, Mouvement Socialiste Mauricien (Socialist Mauritian movement ) under Pravind Jugnauth and Parti Mauricien social Démocrate ( Mauritian Social Democratic Party ) under Xavier Duval, won a majority of 41 seats in Parliament. One of the Mouvement Militant Mauricien ( Mauritian Militant Movement) led coalition under Paul Bérenger on average with 18 seats at the second best. The front Mauricienne Solidarité ( Solidarity Mauritian Front) won a seat and the Mouvement Rodriguais ( Rodriguische movement ) the remaining two seats. It was the ninth parliamentary elections in Mauritius since the attainment of independence from Britain in 1968. The result meant no fundamental change in the political situation in Mauritius against the election results in 2005.

Coalitions and groupings

The Mauritius Labour Party, the Mauritian Social Democrat Party ( PMSD ) and the Militant Socialist Movement ( MSM) had formed together for these elections an alliance with the name Alliance de L' Avenir ( Alliance for the Future ). 62 seats were to win overall. Ramgoolam, leader of the Alliance had, for the seat ratio within the coalition parties before the election of his own party - based on 60 seats - allocated 35 seats, while the MSM were allocated 18 and the PMSD 7 Before the election, it looked as if could win the post of Prime Minister again, he 2003-2005 already been held Berenger. He was the first prime minister since independence, which was not Southeast Asian origin. Berenger led his own party coalition known as the Alliance du Coeur (Alliance of the heart), a reference to the official logo of the Mouvement Militant Mauricien that. By far the biggest party of the Alliance Parties that have their basis on the second largest island of Mauritius, Rodrigues, endeavored to the other two. The biggest parties there are organization du Peuple Rodriguais (Organization of the People of Rodrigues) and the Mouvement Rodriguais ( movement of Rodrigues).

Requirements for candidacy and the election process

62 seats in the National Assembly were determined by the choice of another 8 were determined by the election commission after a sophisticated system that will maintain the balance of the various ethnic groups of the islands. The candidates must declare which Volksgruppep ( Hindu, Muslim, Chinese or " general population " ) they belong to, in order to apply for a seat can. In 2010, 104 candidates refused to do so, with the result that they were disqualified. 529 candidates were so left. About 130 foreign observers, including that of the African Union and the Southern African Development Community, were present to accompany the electoral process. Approximately 900 000 were eligible to vote. The counting of votes began on May 6. The turnout was about 78 %, compared with 81.5 % in the 2005 election, bringing the lowest turnout was achieved since 1976. The Electoral Commission described the election process as properly, complaints to the Commission was not reported.

Allegations of Berenguer

The elections were marked by an accusation of Paul Berenger, the current government has the state television, Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation, misused to influence voters. He accused his political rivals against the background that he himself is part of the Franco- Mauritian minority, " communalism " to, ie, the tendency to address only individual (ethnic ) groups in society in order to get their votes. The main campaigning dominant themes were the economy and the reform of the Constitution, fraud, corruption, drug trafficking and ethnic divisions.

Paul Berenger saw the victory of the Alliance for the Future with 49.31 % stake, but upheld the charge that the elections were not free and fair. His defeat was, inter alia, the bias of reporting on state television, the " communalism ", the electoral system and better funding his political opponents owed ​​but .. He agreed to work with the government on the reform of the electoral system which had led to his alliance had received, despite 43 % of the vote, only 18 of 62 seats ..

The "best -loser system: distribution of additional

On 7 May, the Election Commission said method, as specified by unelected candidates opted for a well "best -loser system " on their religious and ethnic affiliation, about who should take the additional eight seats in the National Assembly. Unusually, however, only seven candidates were appointed instead of 8 .. After the usual procedure four " best -loser seats " were distributed to the candidates who were not elected, but the highest number of votes had reached their political party. At the same time they had to have the "right" religion or ethnicity, in order to maintain the balance within the Parliament in this regard. 4 more seats were allocated such that the result of the election was not changed. The "Alliance for the Future" was given as four seats, while the got "Alliance of the Heart" awarded two additional seats .. While the Election Commission had no problem to assign a seat to a candidate of the organization du Peuple Rodriguais, they had difficulties with the award of the 8 seat which normally went to a representative of the Sino - Mauritian minority from one of the other two parties. But since neither party Front Solidarité Mauricienne still the party Mouvement Rodriguais had put up a candidate from this ethnic group remained eighth place unoccupied ..

Observer of the African Union came to conflicting assessments about whether the "best -loser system " national cohesion strengthens or not. They evaluated the overall election as " free and fair".

Results

Of the 62 seats, only 10 went to women.

  • Alliance of Future Template: Election chart / Maintenance / Name: 45
  • Alliance of the heart Template: Election chart / Maintenance / Name: 20
  • Movement of Rodrigues Template: Election chart / Maintenance / Name: 2
  • Solidary Mauritian Front Template: Election chart / Maintenance / symbol: 1
  • Organization of the people Rodrigues Template: Election chart / Maintenance / code: 1
  • Parti Travailliste (Labour Party )
  • Parti Mauricien social Démocrate ( Mauritian Social Democratic Party )
  • Mouvement Socialiste Mauricien ( Mauritian Socialist Movement)
  • Mouvement Militant Mauricien ( Mauritian Militant Movement)
  • Union Nationale ( National Union)
  • Mouvement Socialiste Mauricien Démocrate ( Mauritian Socialist- Democratic Party )

Swell

  • Policy ( Mauritius)
Rodrigues (surname) National Assembly (Mauritius) Hinduism
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