Savanne

Independence: 12 March 1968 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 12 March (1968)

Constitution: 12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992

Legal system: based on French civil law system with elements of
English common law in certain areas

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Cassam UTEEM (since 1 July 1992) and Vice
President Rabindranath GHURBURRUN (since 1 July 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM (since 27
December 1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president and vice president elected by the National
Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 28 June 1997 (next to
be held NA 2002); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed
by the president and are responsible to the National Assembly
election results: Cassam UTEEM elected president and Rabindranath
GHURBURRUN elected vice president; percent of vote by the National
Assembly-NA

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (66 seats-62
popularly elected, 4 appointed; members serve five-year terms);
note-the election commission appoints four members from the losing
political parties to give representation to various ethnic minorities
elections: last held on 20 December 1995 (next to be held by December
2000)
election results: percent of vote by party-MLP/MMM 65%, MSM/MMR 20%,
other 15%; seats by party-MLP 35, MMM 25, allies of MLP and MMM on
Rodrigues Island 2; appointed were Rodrigues Movement 2, PMSD 1,
Hizbullah 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
government party: Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra
RAMGOOLAM]
opposition parties: Hizbullah [Imam Mustapha BEEHARRY]; MSM/MMR
alliance consisting of the Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Sir
Anerood JUGNAUTH] and the Mauritian Militant Renaissance or MMR [Dr.
Paramhansa NABABSING]; Mauritian Social Democrat Party or PMSD
[Xavier-Luc DUVAL]; Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul
BERENGER]; Organization of the People of Rodrigues or OPR [Louis Serge
CLAIR]; Rodrigues Movement [Nicholas Von MALLY, leader]

Political pressure groups and leaders: various labor unions

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC,
ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, InOC, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM,
OAU,