Mauritius: Election period and setting of election dates

Extracted from: Rouikaya Kasenally 2009 "Chapter 8: Mauritius" IN Denis Kadima and Susan Booysen (eds) Compendium of Elections in Southern Africa 1989-2009: 20 Years of Multiparty Democracy, EISA, Johannesburg, 288-289.

Parliament in Mauritius has a five-year mandate as from the date of the first sitting of the Assembly after any general election and shall then stand dissolved (constitution of Mauritius, section 57, 2). However, the constitution gives the power to the president, who acts in accordance with the advice of the prime minister, at any time to prorogue or dissolve parliament (section 57, 1). Once parliament is dissolved as per the Representation of People Act (1958), the president, acting in accordance with the advice of the prime minister shall, for the purpose of electing a new parliament, not later than 55 days after a dissolution of parliament under section 56 of the constitution, issue a writ of election directed to the returning officer of every constituency, specifying the day of the election. Election Day shall be not less than 15 days or more than 30 days after the day on which the writ is issued and the day on which a poll is to take place shall be at least 15 days and no more than 60 days after the day the nomination of candidates is received.

Reference

CONSTITUTION OF MAURITIUS 1968, [www] http://www.gov.mu/portal/site/AssemblySite/menuitem.ee3d58b2c32c60451251701065c521ca/ [opens new window] (accessed 22 Feb 2010).