# 2000 Mauritian general election

General elections were held in Mauritius on 11 September 2000 to elect the members of the National Assembly.
The opposition Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) party decisively won the elections in coalition with the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), defeating the governing Mauritian Labour Party (MLP) led coalition. They formed together the MSM/MMM As a result, in a pre-election deal Anerood Jugnauth of the Militant Socialist Movement became Prime Minister of Mauritius before handing over to Paul Bérenger of the Mauritian Militant Movement in 2003.

## Background

The Labour Party led by Navin Ramgoolam had governed Mauritius since winning the 1995 election. A new election had to be held by December 2000 and Ramgoolam dissolved parliament to call the election on 11 August 2000. He expected to be able to win the election in a three-way contest with the Mauritian Militant Movement and Militant Socialist Movement parties splitting the opposition vote between them. However ten days after the election was called the two main opposition parties agreed a deal.
The MSM led by Anerood Jugnauth and MMM led by Paul Bérenger agreed that if they won the election Jugnauth would become prime minister. They agreed that after three years he would step down as prime minister to become the president of Mauritius with enhanced powers, and that Bérenger would become prime minister, the first non-Hindu to do so.

## Electoral system

The election was conducted under the first past the post system with three Members of parliament being elected from each of 20 mainland constituencies. A further two MPs were elected from the island of Rodrigues. Each voter was required to vote for three candidates with the possibility of panachage. Once these 62 MPs were decided the Supervisory Electoral Commission chose the eight 'best losers' to prevent any ethnic community or political party from being underrepresented. The Commission chose four MPs to balance the ethnic groups (Hindus, Muslims, Chinese and general population) and another four to balance the political parties. The 'best losers' could only come from candidates who came fourth in the 20 mainland constituencies.

## Campaign

There were 43 parties putting forth 535 candidates but the main contest was between the two main coalitions that campaigned on similar platforms with the economy being the dominant election issue. The governing Mauritian Labour Party promised to raise civil servants' wages and reduce the prices of drinks while the main opposition attacked corruption. Both the government and opposition parties pledged to create 70,000 jobs.
The campaign was peaceful and election day was quiet with the sale or serving of alcohol banned for two days during the election to prevent trouble. Observers from the Southern African Development Community praised the election for its efficient and fair conduct and the high turnout. The opposition Mauritian Militant Movement and Militant Socialist Movement parties won a decisive victory almost wiping out the governing party and the Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam admitted defeat the day after the election. Gender activists were disappointed with the results which saw only four seats won by women, a decline on the previous election in 1995.

## Results

Seats :
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Cons | BL | Total |
| | MMM–MSM | 951,643 | 51.34 | 54 | 4 | 58 |
| | Labour Party–PMXD | 672,336 | 36.27 | 6 | 2 | 8 |
| | Hizbullah | 59,232 | 3.20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | National Democratic Movement Raj Dayal | 54,960 | 2.97 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Rodrigues People's Organisation | 17,317 | 0.93 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| | Rodrigues Movement | 15,801 | 0.85 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| | Lalit | 14,960 | 0.81 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Mauritian People's Party | 6,478 | 0.35 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Nouvo Lizour | 5,152 | 0.28 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Tamil Council | 3,787 | 0.20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Liberal Action Party | 3,444 | 0.19 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Mauritian Authentic Movement | 3,225 | 0.17 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Mauritian Action Committee | 2,668 | 0.14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Mauritian Democratic Movement | 2,211 | 0.12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Mauritian Union | 1,672 | 0.09 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Mauritian National Movement | 1,485 | 0.08 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Agricultural Planter Movement | 665 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Mauritian Democracy | 490 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Mauritian Party of Xavier-Luc Duval | 449 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Socialist Labour Party | 120 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Mauritius Party Rights | 107 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independents | 35,263 | 1.90 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 1,853,465 | 100.00 | 62 | 8 | 70 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 623,463 | 98.85 | | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 7,263 | 1.15 | | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 630,726 | 100.00 | | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 780,031 | 80.86 | | | |
| Source: Electoral Commission, African Elections Database |||||||

### Constituency winners

| Constituency | Elected MPs | Party Alliance | Religion |
| 1 | BARBIER, Jean Claude NAVARRE-MARIE, Marie Arianne ARMANCE, Jean- Claude Louis Desiré | MSM/MMM | Christians |
| 2 | LEUNG SHING, Emmanuel Jean BEEBEEJAUN, Ahmed Rashid MAUDARBOCUS, Sahid | MSM/MMM Labour Party–PMXD MSM/MMM | Chinese Muslim Muslim |
| 3 | LAUTHAN, Samioullah CHADY, Mohummud Siddick NANHUCK, Mohammad | MSM/MMM Labour Party–PMXD MSM/MMM | Muslim |
| 4 | CHUMROO, Meckduth GRIVON, Gérard Clifford LESJONGARD, Georges Pierre | MSM/MMM | Hindu Christian |
| 5 | Navin Ramgoolam JHURRY, Jyaneshwur HURNAM, Devendranath | Labour Party–PMXD MSM/MMM MSM/MSM | Hindu |
| 6 | JEEHA, Deelchand, GUNGAH, Ashit Kumar DULLOO, Madan Murlidhar | MSM/MMM MSM/MMM Labour Party–PMXD | Hindu |
| 7 | Sir Anerood Jugnauth HOOKOOM, Balkissoon MEENOWA, Jai Prakash | MSM/MMM Labour Party–PMXD MSM/MMM | Hindu |
| 8 | RAMLOLL, Parmessur Ashok Jugnauth NAGALINGUM, Darmarajen | MSM/MMM | Hindu |
| 9 | BACHOO, Anil Kumar Sangeet Fowdar KOONJOO, Premdut | MSM/MMM | Hindu |
| 10 | CHOONEE, Mookhesswur GUNNESS, Govindranath DAUREEAWOO, Rashad | MSM/MMM | Hindu Hindu Muslim |
| 11 | Pravind Jugnauth BOOLELL, Arvin BHOWON, Rajayswur | MSM/MMM Labour Party–PMXD MSM/MMM | Hindu |
| 12 | GAYAN, Anil Kumarsingh ROOPUN, Dharmaveersing COLLENDAVELLOO, Ivan Leslie | MSM/MMM | Hindu Hindu Christian |
| 13 | AUMEER, Hurreeprem ISSIMDAR, Abdool Nasser BALOOMOODY, Vedasingam Vasudevachariar | MSM/MMM | Hindu Muslims Hindu |
| 14 | Alan Ganoo ARUNASALON, José ROOPUN, Prithvirajsing, | MSM/MMM | Hindu Christian Hindu |
| 15 | DOOKUN LUCHOOMUN, Leela Devi OBEEGADOO, Louis Steven SOODHUN, Showkutally | MSM/MMM | Hindu Christian Muslim |
| 16 | BODHA, Nandcoomar SAKARAM, Sewram MICHEL, Louis Sylvio | MSM/MMM | Hindu Hindu Christian |
| 17 | GUIMBEAU, Eric Joseph Raoul PAYA, Marie José Gerard DOWARKASING, Mokshanand | MSM/MMM | Christian Hindu |
| 18 | KHUSHIRAM, Khushhal Chand, AUROOMOOGA PUTTEN, Prithviraj, PERRIER, Anne-Marie Danielle | MSM/MMM | Hindu Christian |
| 19 | Paul Berenger CUTTAREE, Jaya Krishna ABDOOLA, Mohamed Feroz | MSM/MMM | Christian Hindu Muslim |
| 20 | BHAGWAN, Rajesh Anand LABELLE, Marie Noëlle Françoise ALLET, Daniel Jean Maurice | MSM/MMM | Hindu Christian |
| Source: Government of Mauritius ||||