Mauritius Government and Politics help in understanding the entire political and administrative set up of the country. Politics and Government are interrelated terms and interdependent on each other. Parliamentary democracy is the form of government that is practiced in the country. The Prime Minister is the head of the Government, while the President is the head of the State in Mauritius. This also represents that the country is a Republic. Though Mauritius gained independence in the year 1968, it became a Republic in 1992.
Mauritius is administratively divided into 9 districts and 3 dependencies. The 9 districts are as follows:
- Riviere du Rempart
- Flacq
- Black River
- Port Louis
- Pamplemousses
- Moka
- Plaines Wilhems
- Savanne
- Grand Port
Apart from these, the 3 dependencies are Rodrigues, Agalega Islands and Cargados Carajos Shoals.
Mauritius follows a multi-party system and till date most of the governments that have been formed are coalition governments. Mauritius politics is dominated by Alliance Sociale (AS), Mauritian Labor Party (MLP), Mauritian Social Democratic Party (PMSD), Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), Mauritian Socialist Movement (MSM), Rodrigues Peoples Organization (OPR), Rodrigues Movement (MR) and some more.
Any individual, who has attained the age of 18 years, becomes eligible for casting votes and participate in the process of government formation. In Mauritius general elections are held every five years, where people elect their own representatives for ruling the country. The leader of the majority party is elected as the Prime Minister of the country.
The Government of Mauritius operates on three levels, the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. The President, Prime Minister and his Cabinet Ministers form the Executive Branch of the Government.
The Legislative Branch comprises of the National Assembly, which is unicameral in nature. There are total 70 seats in the National Assembly of Mauritius. Among the 70 seats, members elected by general voting fill 62 seats, while the remaining eight seats are reserved for the ethnic groups, who form a minority in the country. These eight seats are directly under the Electric Commission of Mauritius.
Last but not the least is the independent judicial branch of Mauritius. The Supreme Court is the ultimate judicial body in the country.
Mauritius laws and regulations form an integral part of
Mauritius Government and Politics. French civil law system is followed in the country. There are certain areas of the country, where some elements of English common laws are followed.
