Mauritius: International observers and national monitors

Updated 2000

The Constitution of the Republic of Mauritius does not provide for the presence of international election observers or national monitors. Reportedly, Mauritian elections have never been observed by international observers or by local non-partisan monitors.

Owing to this legal impediment there are no accreditation procedures whatsoever for foreign observers, the eleven regional observers from the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) could only observe informally. The closest they could come to a polling station was 200 meters away as provided in the law for all the unauthorised persons.

Nonetheless the SADC PF mission was able to meet the main political, electoral and social key role-players in the country. These included the ESC, the Electoral Commissioner, MSM/MMM's Paul Bérenger and outgoing Prime Minister Dr Navin Ramgoolam. All the interlocutors regretted that the law, as it stands, would not permit the SADC parliamentarians to observe the voting and counting processes. Provided that the MSM/MMM alliance keeps their word it is hoped that international observers will be allowed to observe the next National Assembly election in Mauritius.

Article 18 of the National Assembly Elections Regulations of 1968 does provide for party agents to observe the poll inside the voting room and in its immediate surroundings.