# 1983 Mauritian general election

General elections were held in Mauritius on 21 August 1983. The result was a victory for an alliance of the Militant Socialist Movement, the Labour Party and the Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate, which between them won 46 seats. The Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) won 32 seats, whilst the Labour Party secured nine seats and PMSD five. This alliance allowed Jugnauth to continue as Prime Minister while bringing Seewoosagur Ramgoolam and Gaetan Duval back into the government after their severe defeat in the 1982 elections. Shortly after, Ramgoolam was appointed as Governor General, Duval became Deputy Prime Minister and Satcam Boolell (new leader of the labour Party) became Minister of Foreign Affairs. Voter turnout was 85%.
The Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) suffered after the departure of Anerood Jugnauth (who resigned as Leader of the MMM in 1983 to form the MSM) and the Mauritian Socialist Party (the MMM's coalition party since 1982) from the government. The party's leader, Paul Berenger, was not popularly elected in his own constituency. However, under the Best Loser System, he secured his seat through the representational system. Berenger was afterwards appointed as Leader of the Opposition, a post he held until 1987.

## Electoral system

The voting system involved twenty constituencies on Mauritius, which each elected three members. Two seats were elected by residents of Rodrigues, and up to eight seats were filled by the best losers.

## Results

Seats :
| Party or alliance | Party or alliance | Party or alliance | Party or alliance | Votes | % | Cons | BL | Total | +/– |
| | Mauritian Militant Movement | Mauritian Militant Movement | Mauritian Militant Movement | 629,528 | 45.58 | 19 | 3 | 22 | –20 |
| | MSM–PTR | | Militant Socialist Movement | 575,996 | 41.70 | 30 | 2 | 32 | New |
| | MSM–PTR | | Labour Party | 575,996 | 41.70 | 7 | 2 | 9 | +7 |
| | MSM–PTR | Total | Total | 575,996 | 41.70 | 37 | 4 | 41 | +39 |
| | Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate | Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate | Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate | 140,864 | 10.20 | 4 | 1 | 5 | +3 |
| | Rodrigues People's Organisation | Rodrigues People's Organisation | Rodrigues People's Organisation | 15,981 | 1.16 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | Lalit | Lalit | Lalit | 3,116 | 0.23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Independent Mauritian Front | Independent Mauritian Front | Independent Mauritian Front | 2,637 | 0.19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Progressive Labour Party | Progressive Labour Party | Progressive Labour Party | 2,143 | 0.16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Mauritian Democratic Movement | Mauritian Democratic Movement | Mauritian Democratic Movement | 1,036 | 0.08 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Mauritian Grouping | Mauritian Grouping | Mauritian Grouping | 735 | 0.05 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Communist Party of Mauritius | Communist Party of Mauritius | Communist Party of Mauritius | 704 | 0.05 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Liberal Movement of the North | Liberal Movement of the North | Liberal Movement of the North | 572 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Progressive Movement | Progressive Movement | Progressive Movement | 426 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Mauritian People's Party | Mauritian People's Party | Mauritian People's Party | 358 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Socialist Grouping of the South | Socialist Grouping of the South | Socialist Grouping of the South | 241 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Mauritian Muslim Rights | Mauritian Muslim Rights | Mauritian Muslim Rights | 156 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Independents | Independents | Independents | 6,658 | 0.48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 1,381,151 | 100.00 | 62 | 8 | 70 | +4 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 464,465 | 98.82 | | | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 5,543 | 1.18 | | | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 470,008 | 100.00 | | | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 551,708 | 85.19 | | | | |
| Source: Electoral Commission, African Elections Database, Nohlen et al. ||||||||||

### By constituency

| Constituency | Constituency | Elected MPs | Party |
| 1 | Grand River North West– Port Louis West | Mathieu Ange Laclé | MMM |
| 1 | Grand River North West– Port Louis West | Edouard Jérôme Boulle | MMM |
| 1 | Grand River North West– Port Louis West | Rajnee Dyalah | MMM |
| 2 | Port Louis South– Port Louis Central | Noël Lee Cheong Lem | MMM |
| 2 | Port Louis South– Port Louis Central | Khalid Tegally | MMM |
| 2 | Port Louis South– Port Louis Central | Subhas Chandra Lallah | MMM |
| 2 | Port Louis South– Port Louis Central | Kamil Ramoly (best loser) | Labour |
| 3 | Port Louis Maritime– Port Louis East | Bashir Khodabux | MMM |
| 3 | Port Louis Maritime– Port Louis East | Osman Gendoo | MMM |
| 3 | Port Louis Maritime– Port Louis East | Cassam Uteem | MMM |
| 3 | Port Louis Maritime– Port Louis East | Ismaël Nawoor (best loser) | Labour |
| 4 | Port Louis North– Montagne Longue | Shree Krisna Baligadoo | MMM |
| 4 | Port Louis North– Montagne Longue | José Arunasalom | MMM |
| 4 | Port Louis North– Montagne Longue | Dinesh Mundil | MMM |
| 4 | Port Louis North– Montagne Longue | Sylvio Michel (best loser) | MSM |
| 4 | Port Louis North– Montagne Longue | Georgy Candahoo (best loser) | MSM |
| 5 | Pamplemousses–Triolet | Beergoonath Ghurburrun | Labour |
| 5 | Pamplemousses–Triolet | Diwakur Bundhun | MSM |
| 5 | Pamplemousses–Triolet | Dinesh Ramjuttun | MSM |
| 6 | Grand Baie–Poudre D'Or | Armoogum Parsooraman | MSM |
| 6 | Grand Baie–Poudre D'Or | Sattyanand Pelladoah | Labour |
| 6 | Grand Baie–Poudre D'Or | Madan Dulloo | MSM |
| 7 | Piton–Riviere du Rempart | Dwarkanath Gungah | MSM |
| 7 | Piton–Riviere du Rempart | Anerood Jugnauth | MSM |
| 7 | Piton–Riviere du Rempart | Mahyendrah Utchanah | MSM |
| 8 | Quartier Militaire–Moka | Kadress Pillay | MSM |
| 8 | Quartier Militaire–Moka | Vinod Goodoory | MSM |
| 8 | Quartier Militaire–Moka | Rashidally Soobadar | MSM |
| 9 | Flacq–Bon Accueil | Dev Kim Currun | Labour |
| 9 | Flacq–Bon Accueil | Ajay Daby | MSM |
| 9 | Flacq–Bon Accueil | Iswurdeo Seetaram | MSM |
| 10 | Montagne Blanche– Grand River South East | Satcam Boolell | Labour |
| 10 | Montagne Blanche– Grand River South East | Kader Bhayat | MSM |
| 10 | Montagne Blanche– Grand River South East | Jagdishwar Goburdhun | MSM |
| 11 | Vieux Grand Port–Rose Belle | Anandisswar Choolun | MSM |
| 11 | Vieux Grand Port–Rose Belle | Nemchand Raj Molaye | MSM |
| 11 | Vieux Grand Port–Rose Belle | Radha Gungoosingh | MSM |
| 12 | Mahebourg–Plaine Magnien | Lutchmeeparsadsing Ramsahok | MSM |
| 12 | Mahebourg–Plaine Magnien | Serge Thomas | Labour |
| 12 | Mahebourg–Plaine Magnien | Suresh Chandra Poonith | MSM |
| 13 | Riviere des Anguilles–Souillac | Vishnu Lutchmeenaraidoo | MSM |
| 13 | Riviere des Anguilles–Souillac | Ambah Chinien | MSM |
| 13 | Riviere des Anguilles–Souillac | Harish Boodhoo | MSM |
| 14 | Savanne–Black River | Sheilabai Bappoo | MSM |
| 14 | Savanne–Black River | Kishore Deerpalsing | MSM |
| 14 | Savanne–Black River | Roger Gaëtan Gungurum | MSM |
| 15 | La Caverne–Phoenix | Uttam Jawaheer | MMM |
| 15 | La Caverne–Phoenix | Sahid Maudarbocus | MMM |
| 15 | La Caverne–Phoenix | Yousuf Mohamed | Labour |
| 16 | Vacoas–Floreal | Karl Offmann | MSM |
| 16 | Vacoas–Floreal | Babooram Mahadoo | MSM |
| 16 | Vacoas–Floreal | Rohit Beedassy | MSM |
| 16 | Vacoas–Floreal | France Canabady (best loser) | MMM |
| 17 | Curepipe–Midlands | Gaëtan Duval | PMSD |
| 17 | Curepipe–Midlands | Marc Hein | PMSD |
| 17 | Curepipe–Midlands | Kailash Purryag | PMSD |
| 18 | Belle Rose–Quatre Bornes | Michael Glover | Labour |
| 18 | Belle Rose–Quatre Bornes | Anil Gayan | MSM |
| 18 | Belle Rose–Quatre Bornes | Dev Virahsawmy | MSM |
| 18 | Belle Rose–Quatre Bornes | Paul Bérenger (best loser) | MMM |
| 19 | Stanley–Rose Hill | Jayen Cuttaree | MMM |
| 19 | Stanley–Rose Hill | Jean–Claude de L'Estrac | MMM |
| 19 | Stanley–Rose Hill | Shirin Aumeeruddy-Cziffra | MMM |
| 20 | Beau Bassin–Petite Riviere | Jean Régis Finette | MMM |
| 20 | Beau Bassin–Petite Riviere | Hervé Duval | PMSD |
| 20 | Beau Bassin–Petite Riviere | Rajesh Bhagwan | MMM |
| 20 | Beau Bassin–Petite Riviere | Joceline Minerve (best loser) | MMM |
| 20 | Beau Bassin–Petite Riviere | Marie Ghiselaine Henry (best loser) | PMSD |
| 21 | Rodrigues | France Félicité | OPR |
| 21 | Rodrigues | Serge Clair | OPR |
| Source: Electoral Commission |||||