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Dalton Phillips Mauritius Step 2: Current Political Context

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Dalton Phillips Mauritius Step 2: Current Political Context Dalton Phillips Mauritius Step 2: Current Political Context Mauritius, an island that proved difficult to settle, and difficult to govern finally became an independent state on March 12, 1968. During that same year, Mauritius adopted a constitution and was considered a constitutional monarchy. The future of the newly independent island would lay solely on its ability to self-govern in the beginning years of independence. Under the new constitution that was adopted in 1968, the country was officially a constitutional monarchy with the British monarch Elizabeth II as the head of state. With much on the British monarch’s plate, many of the tasks pertaining to Mauritius were passed down to the Governor-General of Mauritius. Mauritius would remain a constitutional monarchy until 1991 when a constitutional amendment was passed. This amendment pushed for a republican form of government which consisted of a president as head of state. In 1992, this amendment went into effect and Prime Minister Sir Anerood Jugnauth declared Mauritius a republic (Bowman). This transition was smooth, and very popular among the people of Mauritius. Now they were not only independent, but also they were now an entirely self-governed island free of all monarch rule. Between 1968 and 1992, many different leaders held office as the Governor-General of Mauritius. However, at the time of this transition to a republic Sir Veerasamy Ringadoo was the Governor-General in charge, and his power would carry over to become the first president of Mauritius (“Mauritius: Constitution and Politics”). In the new republic of Mauritius the president was the head of state, however the presidency is a non-executive position. Following 1992, the majority of power actually belonged to the Prime Minister and the cabinet in the new political system. Each elected president serves a five-year term, and is appointed by the National Assembly on a motion made by the Prime minister (Bowman). The National Assembly is made up of 70 members, 62 of whom are elected, and the final 8 seats are reserved for the ‘best losers’, in order to promote diversity among the National Assembly (“Mauritius: Constitution and Politics”). This process ensure that’s the many ethnic groups of Mauritius have a voice that can be heard inside the National Assembly to help promote fairness. A process that limited representations of certain ethnic groups would not sit well among the public, and would only cause distress. In order to help maintain order across the entire island, Mauritius is divided into districts for administrative purposes. Among these districts are individual courts; however, there is a Supreme Court, which is the highest judicial authority on the island. These courts oversee the constitution which provides universal suffrage for citizens 18 years and older (“Mauritius: Constitution and Politics”). Among the population minorities and women are also allowed to be appointed to the National Assembly in an effort at ethnic balance. There are also many different political parties with their own ideas of ethnic equality, however there are three that particularly dominate in Mauritian politics. These three parties consist of the Mauritius Labour Party (MLP), the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), and the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM). The dominant Hindu vote usually supports either the MLP or the MSM, while the MMM typically pulls in votes from the minorities (CIT). Mauritius is currently led by Prime Minister Sir Anerood Jugnauth of the MSM party who was sworn in during the 2014 elections for his sixth time. On June 4, 2015, Dr Ameenah Gurib-Fakim was unanimously elected to become the president of Mauritius by the National Assembly. Gurib-Fakim ran as an independent in the election, and after winning became the first women to be the president of Mauritius (“Mauritius: Constitution and Politics”). Mauritius flourishes on its exports to many countries. One country in particular that Mauritius exports many goods too is the United States. The United States and Mauritius have shared a healthy trade relationship since its independence. Trade has run smoothly over many years, and many American companies are represented in Mauritius which has helped boost the economy. Apparel, sugar, jewelry, animals, sunglasses, and rum are few of many exports that go to the United States from Mauritius. There is an American Embassy located in Port Louis, Mauritius, and there is also a small military assistance program which assists in maintaining and helping multiple organizations on the island (“Mauritius”). This trade relationship between the United States and Mauritius has benefitted both countries, and these trade relations continue to this day. Works Cited Bowman, L. W. (2017, January 25). Mauritius. Retrieved February 26, 2017, from https://www.britannica.com/place/Mauritius Site designed and built by Hydrant (http://www.hydrant.co.uk). (n.d.). Mauritius : Constitution and politics. Retrieved February 26, 2017, from http://thecommonwealth.org/our-member- countries/mauritius/constitution-politics Mauritius | United States Trade Representative. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2017, from https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/africa/east-africa/mauritius .
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