The Government of Mauritius

Mauritius - Government

Based on the etymolgy of Mauritius, it was island named after Prince Maurice VAN NASSAU, stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, in 1598. The Government system in this country is the parliamentary republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos Shoals*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne

National symbols

Dodo bird, Trochetia Boutoniana flower; national colors: red, blue, yellow, green.

The flag

The National flag of Mauritius has four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green; red represents self-determination and independence, blue the Indian Ocean surrounding the island, yellow has been interpreted as the new light of independence, golden sunshine, or the bright future, and green can symbolize either agriculture or the lush vegetation of the island.

note: while many national flags consist of three - and in some cases five - horizontal bands of color, the flag of Mauritius is the world's only national flag to consist of four horizontal color bands

The National Anthem

Title	"Motherland"
Lyric/music	Jean Georges PROSPER/Philippe GENTIL

note: adopted 1968

More about the government of Mauritius

Constitution
Date of Independence	12 March 1968 (from the UK)
National holiday	Independence and Republic Day, 12 March (1968 & 1992); note - became independent and a republic on the same date in 1968 and 1992 respectively
Legal system	civil legal system based on French civil law with some elements of English common law
International law organization participation	accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
History	Several previous; latest adopted 12 March 1968
Amendments	Proposed by the National Assembly; passage of amendments affecting constitutional articles, including the sovereignty of the state, fundamental rights and freedoms, citizenship, or the branches of government, requires approval in a referendum by at least three-fourths majority of voters followed by a unanimous vote by the Assembly; passage of other amendments requires only two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; amended many times, last in 2016
Citizenship
Citizenship by birth	yes
Citizenship by descent only	yes
Dual citizenship recognized	yes
Residency requirement for naturalization	5 out of the previous 7 years including the last 12 months
Executive Branch
Chief of state	President Prithvirajsing ROOPUN (since 2 December 2019)
Head of government	Prime Minister Pravind JUGNAUTH (since 23 January 2017)
Cabinet	Cabinet of Ministers (Council of Ministers) appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Elections/appointments	president and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for 5-year renewable terms; election last held on 7 November 2019 (next to be held in 2024); the president appoints the prime minister and deputy prime minister who have the majority support in the National Assembly
Election results	2019: Prithvirajsing ROOPUN (MSM) elected president by the National Assembly - unanimous vote 2015: Ameenah GURIB-FAKIM (independent) elected president by the National Assembly - unanimous vote; note - GURIB-FAKIM, who was Mauritius' first female president, resigned on 23 March 2018; acting presidents served from March 2018 until ROOPUN's appointment in 2019
Legislative branch
Legislature name	National Assembly - Assemblée nationale
Legislative structure	Unicameral
Chamber name	National Assembly
Number of seats	67 (62 directly elected; 4 appointed)
Electoral system	Plurality/majority
Scope of elections	Full renewal
Term in office	5 years
Most recent election date	11/10/2024
Parties elected and seats per party	Alliance Du Changement (Alliance for Change, AdC) (60); Other (2)
Percentage of women in chamber	19.4%
Expected date of next election	October 2029
Judicial branch
Highest court(s)	Supreme Court of Mauritius (consists of the chief justice, a senior puisne judge, and 24 puisne judges); note - the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) serves as the final court of appeal
Judge selection and term of office	Chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister; senior puisne judge appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice; other puisne judges appointed by the president with the advice of the Judicial and Legal Commission, a 4-member body of judicial officials including the chief justice; all judges serve until retirement at age 67
Subordinate courts	Lower regional courts known as District Courts, Court of Civil Appeal; Court of Criminal Appeal; Public Bodies Appeal Tribunal
Diplomatic representation in the US
Chief of mission	Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Dhanandjay GOBOODUN (since 9 January 2025)
Chancery	1709 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
Telephone	[1] (202) 244-1491
FAX	[1] (202) 966-0983
Email address and website	[email protected] https://mauritius-washington.govmu.org/Pages/index.aspx
Diplomatic representation from the US
Chief of mission	Ambassador Henry V. JARDINE (since 22 February 2023); note - also accredited to Seychelles
Embassy	4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Avenue, Port Louis
Mailing address	2450 Port Louis Place, Washington, DC 20521-2450
Telephone	[230] 202-4400
FAX	[230] 208-9534
Email address and website	[email protected] https://mu.usembassy.gov/
National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites	2 (both cultural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales	Aapravasi Ghat; Le Morne Cultural Landscape