National Assembly (Mauritius)

The National Assembly (French: Assemblée nationale; Morisyen: Lasanble Nasional) is the main law-making body in Mauritius. It used to be called the Legislative Assembly until 1992, when Mauritius became a republic. Before 1968, during British rule, it was known as the Legislative Council.

The Constitution of Mauritius says that the country’s parliament has the President and the National Assembly. This system is based on the Westminster system, where people vote for their leaders in regular elections. The National Assembly works mostly in English.

There are 66 members in the National Assembly. Sixty-two of them are chosen by voters in different areas, called constituencies, for five years. Four more members, called "best losers", are added to make sure that different groups of people are fairly represented. The leader of the government, called the prime minister, depends on having the support of most members of the National Assembly.

Constitutional role

The National Assembly is the most important group in Mauritius, deciding how the country's important institutions work.

The President and Vice-President of Mauritius are chosen by the National Assembly for five-year terms. The Assembly also decides which group becomes the government. The prime minister must have the support of the Assembly. If the prime minister leaves office, the president chooses someone who can get the Assembly's support, usually the leader of the biggest party in the Assembly. The group with the second most support forms the Official Opposition, and its leader is usually named by the President as the Leader of the Opposition.

Government

Leader of the Opposition

Composition

The National Assembly of Mauritius has 70 members. Most of these members, 62 in total, are chosen by voters in 21 different areas. Mauritius has 20 areas that each pick three members, and Rodrigues picks two members. After elections, up to 8 extra members can be added to make sure all groups are fairly represented. This is called the best loser system.

The group with the most seats becomes the government, and its leader is usually the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister chooses the Cabinet members from the elected members, except for the Attorney General, who does not need to be an elected member.

Represented political parties

A new assembly was elected on 10 November 2024, and a new coalition government was appointed with Navin Ramgoolam as prime minister. Several political parties have members in the assembly, as shown below.

Procedures

After a new assembly is elected, the President can open the new session and announce the date and time for meetings. The President reads an important government message instead of a speech from the throne. The Assembly usually meets on Tuesdays at 11:30 AM when it has sessions. The President, following the prime minister's advice, can close the sessions, end them early, or dissolve the assembly whenever needed.

Officials/functions of the Assembly

The National Assembly has several important roles and people who help it run smoothly. The Speaker is in charge of making sure everyone follows the rules. When the Speaker is away, the Deputy Speaker steps in to help. The Leader of the House, who is the Prime Minister, can decide to pause or end meetings of the Assembly. The Leader of the Opposition offers different ideas and critiques the government's actions.

Other key roles include the Attorney General, who gives legal advice, and the Government and Opposition Whips, who help plan what the Assembly will discuss. There are also many other important positions like the Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, the Clerk, and the Mace, which is a symbol of the Assembly's authority.