Electoral Reform: Public Consultation Closed, GM Prepares Next Steps

The public consultation on electoral reform concluded on Friday. A technical team will now analyze the contributions received to prepare a draft law establishing a hybrid and proportional system.

The period for submitting citizen proposals on electoral reform ended on Friday at the Prime Minister's Office. Since the official launch of the consultations in December 2025, various political parties, civil society organizations, academics, citizen movements, and members of the diaspora have submitted a series of written contributions. A technical team will now be formed to analyze all proposals and submit a report to the government. The executive aims to present a draft law on electoral reform in the coming months.

This consultation marks a new phase in a long-anticipated institutional overhaul, regularly postponed. It occurs in a context where the two main leaders of the governing alliance – Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party (PTr), Navin Ramgoolam, and his deputy, leader of the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), Paul Bérenger – display a broad consensus on the overall architecture of the reform.

During a press conference held last November, Paul Bérenger outlined the main features of the model favored by the two leaders: a hybrid electoral system based on the abolition of the mandatory community declaration for candidates and the introduction of a significant dose of proportional representation.

Specifically, the current 60 seats elected under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system would be maintained. Additionally, 20 deputies would be elected proportionally from closed lists submitted by parties or alliances to the electoral commissioner or the Electoral Commission before general elections. These deputies would not be attached to a constituency.

"We will abolish the necessity to declare one’s community to be a candidate and also inject a good dose of proportionality with 20 deputies who will be added to the 60 deputies elected by the first-past-the-post," explained the Deputy Prime Minister.

This model would bring the total number of deputies to 80, with an addition of two or three representatives for Rodrigues, compared to a current maximum of 68 (+ two for Rodrigues). Inspired by mixed systems in practice, notably in Germany and New Zealand, this mechanism aims to correct the distortions of the majority vote while preserving the territorial link between elected officials and voters.

In Mauritius, the 20 proportional seats would explicitly aim to promote more inclusive representation without resorting to ethnic criteria. Voters would not vote directly for these lists; their allocation would be based on the overall results of the parties, allowing minority parties, often penalized by the FPTP, easier access to Parliament.

On this central point, Navin Ramgoolam and Paul Bérenger agree. Both consider the Best Loser System (BLS) to be "outdated." Introduced before Independence to ensure inter-community balance in a plural society, this mechanism has contributed to the country's political stability. However, it is now seen as a relic of another era. Abolishing the community declaration would represent a strong symbolic break, aligning the Mauritian electoral framework with international non-discrimination standards.

However, a nuance remains between the two leaders regarding the pace of this transition. Paul Bérenger advocates for a gradual approach, whereas Navin Ramgoolam favors an immediate and complete abolition of the BLS. Paul Bérenger proposes to retain the first four BLS seats allocated on a community basis for the first election following the reform, before a definitive elimination afterward. "I would have preferred that we keep the first four based on community for at least the first election after the electoral reform. The nuance is there. People will feel comfortable, and we can eliminate it afterward. I prefer to go through this step."

This divergence is, however, presented as minor. "There is no disagreement between Ramgoolam and me on electoral reform or on the best loser," Paul Bérenger insisted in November and subsequently.

With the closure of the public consultation, the process now enters a more technical phase. The analysis of the proposals received will inform the drafting of a legislative text aimed at sustainably reshaping the rules of the Mauritian democratic game.