1991 Mauritian general election

General elections were held in Mauritius on 15 September 1991.[1] Three main parties gained seats in this election: the Militant Socialist Movement, Mauritian Militant Movement and the Labour Party. The MSM formed an alliance with the MMM and the Labour party formed an alliance with the Mauritian Social Democrat Party (PMSD). On 17 September 1991, results showed that MSM-MMM won 57 seats out of 60 elected seats.[2] This gave 95% of seats to MSM-MMM leader Anerood Jugnauth and 5% to Labour Party-PMSD leader Navin Ramgoolam.

1991 Mauritian general election

15 September 1991 (1991-09-15)

All 70 seats in the National Assembly
35 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader Anerood Jugnauth Navin Ramgoolam
Party MSM Labour Party
Leader since 1983 1991
Leader's seat Piton & Riviere Du Rempart Pamplemousses and Triolet
Last election 44 seats 8 seats
Seats won 57 3
Seat change 13 5
Popular vote 944,521 670,631
Percentage 55.4% 39.3%
Swing 15.4% 16.9%

Prime Minister before election

Anerood Jugnauth
MSM

Subsequent Prime Minister

Anerood Jugnauth
MSM

Campaign

The main political parties taking part in the elections were the Militant Socialist Movement and Labour Party which were the current government, and the Mauritian Militant Movement which was the current opposition party. Earlier that year, Navin Ramgoolam[3] became the leader of the Labour Party. As a result, the MSM-Labour Party coalition broke down in February 1991 because Ramgoolam demanded that the deal between the parties should be reviewed and that the MSM leader, Anerood Jugnauth, should hold the office of Prime Minister for half of the term (two and a half years), with Ramgoolam serving out the remainder of the term. However, Jugnauth did not want to step aside in favour of Ramgoolam. Ramgoolam then announced that his party would contest the elections due September on its own.

Jugnauth proposed an electoral pact with the Mauritian Militant Movement(MMM), the party which Jugnauth himself had formerly led between 1976 and 1983, before the formation of the MSM. The two parties agreed that Anerood Jugnauth would remain Prime Minister for the full term of 5 years and that MMM leader Paul Bérenger would serve in his Cabinet. Bérenger later became Minister of External Affairs.[4]

During the term, Rama Sithanen, Sheila Bappoo and Daram Gockool defected from the MSM to the Mauritian Labour Party. The defections put the MSM under increasing strain, and Jugnauth came under pressure to hold general elections in 1995 rather than 1996, as constitutionally scheduled.

Results

Party Votes % Seats
Constituency Best-loser Total
MSM-MMM-MTD944,52155.457057
Labour PartyMSDP670,63139.3549
Rodrigues People's Organisation16,0800.9
Socialist Workers' Front12,1620.7000
Rodrigues People's Grouping11,6460.7000
Liberal Action Party6,0530.4000
Mauritian People's Party5,6960.3000
Militant Workers Party2,1370.1000
Socialist Movement of the South6860.0000
Communist Party of Mauritius3580.0000
Mauritius Party Rights2430.0000
Tamil Fraternity of Mauritius1910.0000
Mauritius United Party1600.0000
People's Democratic Party1210.0000
Independents30,0051.8000
Total1,706,24010062466
Source: Nohlen et al., EISA

By constituency

Constituency Elected MPs Party/alliance
1LACLÉ, Mathieu Ange BOULLE
Edouard JérômeLARIDON
ARMANCE, Georges Alain
MSM-MMM
2JEEWAH, Ahmad Sulliman ASGARALLY
Abdool Azize
LEE CHEONG LEM, Noe Ah-Qwet
MSM-MMM
3Cassam Uteem
GENDOO, Osman
KHODABUX, Bashir Ahmud
MSM-MMM
4BRIZMOHUN, Parmanund
ARUNASALOM, José
GENEVIEVE, Claude Raymond
MSM-MMM
5Navin Ramgoolam
JHURRY, Jyaneshwur
KOONJOO, Premdut
Labor Party-MSDP
MSM-MMM
MSM/MSM
6FOKEER, Dharmanand Goopt,
DULLOO, Madan Murlidhar
PARSURAMAN Armoorgum
MSM-MMM
7Sir Anerood Jugnauth
GUNGAH, Dwarkanath
UTCHANAH, Mahyendrah
MSM-MMM
8Ashok Jugnauth
MOUTIA, Sutyadeo
PYNEEANDEE, Retnon
MSM-MMM
9BACHOO, Anil Kumar
GUTTEE, Rajnarain
NEEWOOR, Roodrashen
MSM-MMM
10JADDOO, Ramduthsing
GOBURDHUN, Jagdishwar
PEERUN, Mohammud Zeelannee
MSM-MMM
11Arvin Boolell
DAYAL, Bharat Bhusan,
LALLAH, Subhas Chandra
Labor Party-MSDP
MSM-MMM
12BUNWAREE, Dr. Vasant Kumar
COLLENDAVELLOO, Ivan Leslie
CHOONEE, Mookhesswur
Labor Party-MSDP
MSM-MMM
13AUMEER, Hurreeprem
Prem Nababsing
KASENALLY Ahmud
MSM-MMM
14Alan Ganoo
COMARMOND, Claude Francis Germain
PHOKEER, Sooroojdev
MSM-MMM
15Steve Obeegadoo
SEETARAM, Iswurdeo
SOODHUN, Showkutally
MSM-MMM
16BAPPOO, Sheilabai
GOKHOOL, Dharambeer
Karl Offmann
MSM-MMM
17DARGA, Louis Amédée
SAUZIER, Philippe Epaminondas Gaston Maxime
Sanjit Teelock
MSM-MMM
18RUHEE, Keertee Coomar
Rama Sithanen
GLOVER, Michael James Kevin
MSM-MMM
19Jayen Cuttaree
DE LESTRAC, Jean Claude Gervais Raoul
Paul Bérenger
MSM-MMM
20Rajesh Bhagwan
MINERVE, Marie Therèse Joceline
FINETTE, Jean Régis
MSM-MMM
Source: Government of Mauritius

References

  1. Mauritius: 1991 National Assembly election results EISA
  2. Nohlen, D, Krennerich, M & Thibaut, B (1999) Elections in Africa: A data handbook, p618 ISBN 0-19-829645-2
  3. Dr Ramgoolam Navinchandra, GCSK, FRCP Government of Mauritius
  4. Bérenger Paul Raymond, GCSK Government of Mauritius
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