MAURITIUS
Parliamentary Chamber: National Assembly-Assemblée nationale

ELECTIONS HELD IN 1995

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Chamber:
  National Assembly-Assemblée nationale


Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):

  20 December 1995


Purpose of elections:

  Elections were held for all the popularly chosen members of Parliament following the premature dissolution of this body on 16 November 1995. General elections had previously been held in September 1991.


Background and outcome of elections:

  General elections had previously been held in September 1991. On 16 November 1995, Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth of the Mauritian Socialist Movement (MSM) - in office since 1982 - cut short the five-year term of the National Assembly by dissolving it after it had rejected a constitutional amendment relating to education which the Government supported.

The electoral campaign officially opened on 5 December. Altogether 42 parties and 506 candidates were in contention. The ruling MSM, in alliance with the Mauritian Militant Renewal (RMM), was mainly opposed by the coalition comprising the Labour Party (PTR) and the socialist Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM). In the debate preceding the polling, PTR leader Navin Ramgoolam - whose father served as Prime Minister from 1968 to 1982 - and MMM leader Paul Bérenger pledged to continue the free-market economic policies of the outgoing Government while giving higher priority to social welfare. The Jugnauth administration, for its part, stood by its successful record of having turned the Mauritian economy around.

On polling day, the opposition PTR-MMM alliance swept to victory, capturing all popularly chosen seats with the exception of the two from Rodrigues. Analysts widely attributed this outcome to scandals which had plagued the Government as well as the electorate's desire for change after years of rule by the same faces. Mr. Bérenger believed Mr. Jugnauth could have done more to end communal unrest and ethnic divisions or repair infrastructure, especially in poor areas of the country.

On 27 December, Mr. Rangoolam was sworn in as Prime Minister. Three days later, he named his Cabinet, with Mr. Bérenger selected as his Deputy.

STATISTICS
Round no 1 (20 December 1995): Elections results  
Number of registered electors 712,513
Voters 567,810 (79.69%)
Blank or invalid ballot papers 8,805
Valid votes 559,005

Round no 1: Distribution of votes  
Political Group Votes
Labour Party (PTr) - Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) 1,084,635
Organization of the People of Rodrigues (OPR) 16,631
Rodriguese Movement (MR) 9,529
Gaëtan Duval Party (PGD) -
Hizbullah -

Round no 1: Distribution of seats  
Political Group Total
Labour Party (PTr) - Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) 60
Organization of the People of Rodrigues (OPR) 2
Rodriguese Movement (MR) 2*
Gaëtan Duval Party (PGD) 1*
Hizbullah 1*

Comments:
  *seats allocated under « best-loser » system

Distribution of seats according to sex:  
Men: 61
Women: 5

Distribution of seats according to age:  
Under 31 years 1
31-40 years 16
41-50 years 26
51-60 years 18
61-70 years 4
Over 70 years 1


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Copyright © 1995 Inter-Parliamentary Union