The Unfinished Business of Electoral Reform
Editorial
The announcement by Acting Prime Minister & DPM Paul Bérenger, yesterday, has reignited a long-standing debate: how to modernise Mauritius’s electoral system so that it better reflects today’s political and social realities. Flanked by the symbolism of launching the initiative while the Prime Minister was on an official visit to India, Paul Bérenger unveiled two options intended to reshape the way Mauritians choose their representatives. Both combine the familiar First Past the Post (FPTP) model with a dose of proportional representation (PR), aiming to strengthen fairness and stability, while also considering the fate of the Best Loser System (BLS).
The proposals reflect a commitment to move beyond tokenism. As Paul Bérenger noted, the objective is to begin an open, inclusive consultation rather than waiting until the eve of the next elections. This is encouraging, for electoral reform has too often been relegated to the margins of political agendas, surfacing only when expediency dictated. The new Labour Party-MMM-ND-ReA coalition, elected on a manifesto of “rupture” with entrenched dysfunction, faces its first major test: whether it can transform pledges into a durable framework for democratic renewal.
Understanding the Proposals
Under the first option, the National Assembly would retain its 60 directly elected members – three per constituency across Mauritius – but add 20 PR seats. These would be allocated according to parties’ national vote share, using lists submitted before polling day. Importantly, the geographical map of constituencies would remain untouched, preserving the link between voters and their local MPs.* Read More… Become a Subscriber
Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 12 September 2025
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