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Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius
conventional short form: Mauritius
Data code: MP
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Port Louis
Administrative divisions: 9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos Shoals*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne
Independence: 12 March 1968 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 March (1968)
Constitution: 12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992
Legal system: based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Cassam UTEEM (since 1 July 1992) and
Vice President Angidi Verriah CHETTIAR (since 28 June 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM (since
27 December 1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president and vice president elected by the National
Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 28 June 1997
(next to be held NA 2002); prime minister and deputy prime minister
appointed by the president and are responsible to the National
Assembly
election results: Cassam UTEEM reelected president and Angidi
Verriah CHETTIAR elected vice president; percent of vote by the
National Assembly—NA
Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (66 seats—62 elected by popular vote, 4
appointed by the election commission from the losing political
parties to give representation to various ethnic minorities; members
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 20 December 1995 (next to be held by December
2000)
election results: percent of vote by party—MLP/MMM 65%, MSM/MMR
20%, other 15%; seats by party—MLP 35, MMM 25, allies of
MLP and MMM on Rodrigues Island 2; appointed were Rodrigues Movement
2, PMSD 1, Hizbullah 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
government party: Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]
opposition parties: Hizbullah [Imam Mustapha BEEHARRY]; MSM/MMR
alliance consisting of the Militant Socialist Movement or MSM
[Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH] and the Mauritian Militant Renaissance
or MMR [Dr. Paramhansa NABABSING]; Mauritian Social Democrat Party
or PMSD [Xavier-Luc DUVAL]; Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM
[Paul BERENGER]; Organization of the People of Rodrigues or OPR
[Louis Serge CLAIR]; Rodrigues Movement [Nicholas Von MALLY]
Political pressure groups and leaders: various labor unions
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, InOC, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in
the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Chitmansing JESSERAMSING
chancery: Suite 441, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491, 1492
FAX: [1] (202) 966-0983
Diplomatic representation from
the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Harold Walter GEISEL
embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis
mailing address: international mail: P.O. Box 544, Port Louis;
US mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, Department of State, Washington,
DC 20521-2450
telephone: [230] 208-2347, 208-2354, 208-9763 through 9767
FAX: [230] 208-9534
Flag description: four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green