1991 Mauritian general election explained

General elections were held in Mauritius on 15 September 1991.^[1] Three main parties gained seats in this election: the Militant Socialist Movement, Mauritian Militant Movement and the Labour Party. The MSM formed an alliance with the MMM and the Labour Party formed an alliance with the Mauritian Social Democrat Party (PMSD). On 17 September 1991, results showed that MSM-MMM won 57 out of 66 seats.^[2] This gave 95% of seats to MSM-MMM leader Anerood Jugnauth and 5% to Labour Party-PMSD leader Navin Ramgoolam.

Campaign

The main political parties taking part in the elections were the Militant Socialist Movement and Labour Party which were the current government, and the Mauritian Militant Movement which was the current opposition party. Earlier that year, Navin Ramgoolam^[3] became the leader of the Labour Party. As a result, the MSM-Labour Party coalition broke down in February 1991 because Ramgoolam demanded that the deal between the parties should be reviewed and that the MSM leader, Anerood Jugnauth, should hold the office of Prime Minister for half of the term (two and a half years), with Ramgoolam serving out the remainder of the term. However, Jugnauth did not want to step aside in favour of Ramgoolam. Ramgoolam then announced that his party would contest the elections due September on its own.

Jugnauth proposed an electoral pact with the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), the party which Jugnauth himself had formerly led between 1976 and 1983, before the formation of the MSM. The two parties agreed that Anerood Jugnauth would remain Prime Minister for the full term of 5 years and that MMM leader Paul Bérenger would serve in his Cabinet. Bérenger later became Minister of External Affairs.^[4]

During the term, Rama Sithanen, Sheila Bappoo and Dharam Gokhool defected from the MSM to the Mauritian Labour Party. The defections put the MSM under increasing strain, and Jugnauth came under pressure to hold general elections in 1995 rather than 1996, as constitutionally scheduled.

Results

By constituency

Constituency	class=unsortable	Elected MPs	Party
1	Grand River North West– Port Louis West	Ange Mathieu Laclé	bgcolor=		MMM
		Edouard Jérôme Boulle	bgcolor=		MMM
		Georges Alain Laridon	bgcolor=		MMM
2	Port Louis South– Port Louis Central	Ahmad Sulliman Jeewah	bgcolor=		MMM
		Azize Asgarally	bgcolor=		MSM
		Noël Lee Cheong Lem	bgcolor=		MMM
3	Port Louis Maritime– Port Louis East	Cassam Uteem	bgcolor=		MMM
		Osman Gendoo	bgcolor=		MMM
		Bashir Ahmud Khodabux	bgcolor=		MMM
4	Port Louis North– Montagne Longue	Parmanund Brizmohun	bgcolor=		MSM
		José Arunasalom	bgcolor=		MMM
		Claude Raymond Genevieve	bgcolor=		MSM
5	Pamplemousses–Triolet	Navin Ramgoolam	bgcolor=		Labour
		Jyaneshwur Jhurry	bgcolor=		MSM
		Premdut Koonjoo	bgcolor=		MSM
6	Grand Baie–Poudre D'Or	Dharmanand Goopt Fokeer	bgcolor=		MMM
		Madan Dulloo	bgcolor=		MMM
		Armoogum Parsooraman	bgcolor=		MSM
		Gaëtan Duval (best loser)	bgcolor=		PMSD
7	Piton–Riviere du Rempart	Anerood Jugnauth	bgcolor=		MSM
		Dwarkanath Gungah	bgcolor=		MSM
		Mahyendrah Utchanah	bgcolor=		MSM
8	Quartier Militaire–Moka	Ashok Jugnauth	bgcolor=		MSM
		Sutyadeo Moutia	bgcolor=		MSM
		Retnon Pyneeandee	bgcolor=		MSM
9	Flacq–Bon Accueil	Anil Bachoo		MTD
		Rajnarain Guttee	bgcolor=		MSM
		Roodrashen Neewoor	bgcolor=		MSM
10	Montagne Blanche– Grand River South East	Ramduthsing Jaddoo	bgcolor=		MSM
		Jagdishwar Goburdhun	bgcolor=		MSM
		Mohammud Zeelannee Peerun	bgcolor=		MMM
11	Vieux Grand Port–Rose Belle	Arvin Boolell	bgcolor=		Labour
		Satish Dayal	bgcolor=		MSM
		Subhas Chandra Lallah	bgcolor=		MMM
12	Mahebourg–Plaine Magnien	Vasant Bunwaree	bgcolor=		Labour
		Ivan Collendavelloo	bgcolor=		MMM
		Mookhesswur Choonee	bgcolor=		MSM
13	Riviere des Anguilles–Souillac	Hurreeprem Aumeer	bgcolor=		MMM
		Prem Nababsing	bgcolor=		MMM
		Swalay Kasenally	bgcolor=		MMM
14	Savanne–Black River	Alan Ganoo	bgcolor=		MMM
		Germain Comarmond	bgcolor=		MSM
		Sooroojdev Phokeer	bgcolor=		MSM
15	La Caverne–Phoenix	Louis Steven Obeegadoo	bgcolor=		MMM
		Iswurdeo Seetaram	bgcolor=		MSM
		Showkutally Soodhun	bgcolor=		MSM
		Razack Peeroo (best loser)	bgcolor=		Labour
16	Vacoas–Floreal	Sheilabai Bappoo	bgcolor=		MSM
		Dharambeer Gokhool	bgcolor=		MSM
		Karl Offmann	bgcolor=		MSM
17	Curepipe–Midlands	Louis Amédée Darga	bgcolor=		MMM
		Maxime Sauzier	bgcolor=		MSM
		Sanjit Kumar Teelock		MTD
		Clarel Desiré Malherbe (best loser)	bgcolor=		Labour
18	Belle Rose–Quatre Bornes	Kailash Ruhee	bgcolor=		MMM
		Rama Sithanen	bgcolor=		MSM
		Michael Glover	bgcolor=		MSM
19	Stanley–Rose Hill	Jayen Cuttaree	bgcolor=		MMM
		Jean–Claude De L'Estrac	bgcolor=		MMM
		Paul Bérenger	bgcolor=		MMM
		Siddick Chady (best loser)	bgcolor=		Labour
20	Beau Bassin–Petite Riviere	Rajesh Bhagwan	bgcolor=		MMM
		Joceline Minerve	bgcolor=		MMM
		Jean Régis Finette	bgcolor=		MSM
21	Rodrigues	Serge Clair	bgcolor=		OPR
		Joseph Jolicoeur	bgcolor=		OPR
Source: Government of Mauritius

Notes and References

1. https://www.eisa.org.za/wep/mau1991results.htm Mauritius: 1991 National Assembly election results
2. [Dieter Nohlen]
3. http://mauritiusassembly.govmu.org/English/hmembers/Pages/Dr-Ramgoolam-Navinchandra,-GCSK,-FRCP.aspx Dr Ramgoolam Navinchandra, GCSK, FRCP
4. http://mauritiusassembly.govmu.org/English/hmembers/Pages/B%C3%A9renger-Paul-Raymond,-GCSK.aspx Bérenger Paul Raymond, GCSK