Mauritius: Political Campaigns: The Campaigns

There are no prescribed dates for the beginning or the end of the electoral campaign. The political parties are even allowed to campaign on the voting day, provided that the campaigners do not move within 200 meters of the polling station.

The sale of alcoholic drinks is forbidden from 18h00 on the eve of the poll to prevent violence from erupting between the supporters of contesting parties.

The 2000 electoral campaigns were peaceful. While the opposition alliance accused the Prime Minister of feeding up communal feelings and called him a "faux rassembleur", these accusations were not confirmed by independent sources. The MSM/MMM also accused the ruling alliance of electoral bribes. It claimed that the government distributed money, cut down the price of beer and those of construction steels and compelled sugar companies to pay arrears to their workers.

Overall, the campaign was dominated by the accord between the MMM and the MSM, and more specifically by the proposed constitutional amendments to bring about balance of powers between the Prime Minister and the President of the Republic, and the possibility of Paul Bérenger to be the Prime Minister in 2003.

Dr Ramgoolam criticised the MSM/MMM manifesto for lack of imagination, characterising its reform proposals as the promotion of an Indian-type of presidency, an Israeli-type of premiership and an MBC à la British Broadcast Corporation (BBC).

Moreover, the outgoing Prime Minister argued that a coalition between Jugnauth and Bérenger would not last, the two men being unable to work together. He predicted a "cassure" or collapse of the alliance, with adverse consequences on governmental stability. Many analysts were indeed doubtful that the MSM and MMM alliance could last 5 years, given past experiences. Indeed, the two leaders entered into alliances three times before, and each time they collapsed as quickly as they were started.