1983 Mauritian general election

General elections were held in Mauritius on 21 August 1983. The result was a victory for an alliance of the Militant Socialist Movement, the Labour Party and the Mauritian Social Democrat Party, which between them won 46 seats.[1] The Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) won 32 seats, whilst the Labour Party secured 9 seats and PMSD five. This alliance allowed Jugnauth to continue as Prime Minister while bringing Seewoosagur Ramgoolam and Gaetan Duval back into the government after their severe defeat in the 1982 elections. Shortly after, Ramgoolam was appointed as Governor General, Duval became Deputy Prime Minister and Satcam Boolell (new leader of the labour Party) became Minister of Foreign Affairs.

1983 Mauritian general election
21 July 1983 (1983-07-21)
All 60 seats in the National Assembly
31 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader Sir Anerood Jugnauth Paul Berenger
Party MSM MMM
Leader since 1983 1983
Leader's seat Piton & Riviere Du Rempart Belle Rose and Quatre Bornes
Last election 0 seats 48 seats
Seats before 0 48
Seats won 46 21
Seat change 46 27
Popular vote 708,440 629, 536
Percentage 52.22% 46.40%
Swing 52.22% 13.6%
Prime Minister before election

Sir Anerood Jugnauth
MMM

 Subsequent Prime Minister

Sir Anerood Jugnauth
MSM

Mauritius
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The Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) suffered after the departure of Anerood Jugnauth (who resigned as Leader of the MMM in 1983 to form the MSM) and the Mauritian Socialist Party (the MMM's coalition party since 1982) from the government. The party's leader, Paul Berenger, was not popularly elected in his own constituency. However, under the best loser system, he secured his seat through the representational system. Berenger was afterwards appointed as Leader of the Opposition, a post he held until 1987.

Electoral system

The voting system involved twenty constituencies on Mauritius, which each elected three members. Two seats were elected by residents of Rodrigues, and up to eight seats were filled by the "best losers".[2] Voter turnout was 81.1%.[3]

Results
Party Votes % Seats +/-
Constituency Best-loser Total
MSM–Labour Party575,99641.741546+46
Mauritian Social Democrat Party140,86410.2
Mauritian Militant Movement629,52845.619322–20
Rodrigues People's Organisation15,9811.22020
Lalit3,1160.2000New
Independent Mauritian Front2,6370.2000New
Progressive Labour Party2,1430.2000New
Mauritian Democratic Movement1,0360.1000New
Mauritian Grouping7350.1000New
Communist Party of Mauritius7040.1000New
Liberal Movement of the North5720.10000
Progressive Movement4260.0000New
Mauritian People's Party3580.0000New
Socialist Grouping of the South2410.0000New
Mauritian Muslim Rights1560.0000New
Independents6,6580.50000
Invalid/blank votes5,543–––––
Total470,008*10062870+4
Source: Nohlen et al.

* Total number of voters (voters could cast more than one vote).

References
  1. Nohlen, D, Krennerich, M & Thibaut, B (1999) Elections in Africa: A data handbook, p618 ISBN 0-19-829645-2
  2. Mauritius: Background to the 1967 Legislative Assembly election EISA
  3. Mauritius: 1983 Legislative Assembly election results EISA
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