# 1976 Mauritian general election

General elections were held in Mauritius on 20 December 1976. They were the first general elections to be held since independence on 12 March 1968 and came nine years after the previous elections in 1967. Although elections had been scheduled for 1972, they were cancelled by the Labour Party–Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate–Muslim Committee of Action coalition government due to political unrest. The year prior to these elections was marked by the May 1975 Students protest riots.
The Mauritian Militant Movement won the most seats, but a coalition government was formed by the Independence Party (a coalition of the Labour Party, Muslim Committee of Action and Independent Forward Bloc) and the Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate. Around 400 candidates representing thirty-one parties contested the election, but only three parties won seats. Voter turnout was 88%.

## Electoral system

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

## Results

The best losers included Yousuf Mohamed and Harold Walter.
Seats :
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Cons | BL | Total | +/– |
| | Mauritian Militant Movement | 469,420 | 38.69 | 30 | 4 | 34 | New |
| | Independence Party | 461,949 | 38.08 | 25 | 3 | 28 | –3 |
| | Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate | 200,559 | 16.53 | 7 | 1 | 8 | –19 |
| | Independent Forward Bloc | 26,902 | 2.22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | –12 |
| | Mauritian Democratic Union | 12,505 | 1.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Progressive Socialist Party | 9,807 | 0.81 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Rodrigues People's Organisation | 6,376 | 0.53 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Mauritian Militant Socialist Movement | 5,372 | 0.44 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Progressive Party of the South | 2,223 | 0.18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Republican Centre Party | 1,636 | 0.13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Labour Unity Liberals | 800 | 0.07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Mauritius Muslim Democratic League | 266 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Mauritius People's Progressive Party | 249 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Communist Party of Mauritius | 244 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Mauritius Muslim Rights | 236 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Mauritius United Party | 186 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Movement and the Mauritian Socialist Youth | 174 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | People's Democratic Party | 143 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Union of the General Population | 92 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Independents | 14,021 | 1.16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| Total | Total | 1,213,160 | 100.00 | 62 | 8 | 70 | 0 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 462,034 | – | | | | |
| Source: Electoral Commission, Nohlen et al. ||||||||

### By constituency

| Constituency | Constituency | Elected MPs | Party |
| 1 | Grand River North West– Port Louis West | Jack Bizlall | 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 | Kader Bhayat | MMM |
| 2 | Port Louis South– Port Louis Central | Noël Lee Cheong Lem | MMM |
| 2 | Port Louis South– Port Louis Central | Rajiv Servansingh | MMM |
| 2 | Port Louis South– Port Louis Central | Kamil Ramoly (best loser) | PMSD |
| 3 | Port Louis Maritime– Port Louis East | Bashir Khodabux | MMM |
| 3 | Port Louis Maritime– Port Louis East | Cassam Uteem | MMM |
| 3 | Port Louis Maritime– Port Louis East | Osman Gendoo | MMM |
| 4 | Port Louis North– Montagne Longue | Suresh Moorba | MMM |
| 4 | Port Louis North– Montagne Longue | Shree Krisna Baligadoo | MMM |
| 4 | Port Louis North– Montagne Longue | Sylvio Michel | MMM |
| 5 | Pamplemousses–Triolet | Seewoosagur Ramgoolam | Labour |
| 5 | Pamplemousses–Triolet | Gyandeo Daby | Labour |
| 5 | Pamplemousses–Triolet | Rabindrah Ghurburrun | Labour |
| 6 | Grand Baie–Poudre D'Or | Mooneeswar Hurry | Labour |
| 6 | Grand Baie–Poudre D'Or | Madan Dulloo | MMM |
| 6 | Grand Baie–Poudre D'Or | Dharmanand Goopt Fokeer | MMM |
| 7 | Piton–Riviere du Rempart | Rammesh Jeewoolall | Labour |
| 7 | Piton–Riviere du Rempart | Simadree Virahsawmy | Labour |
| 7 | Piton–Riviere du Rempart | Anerood Jugnauth | MMM |
| 8 | Quartier Militaire–Moka | Veerasamy Ringadoo | Labour |
| 8 | Quartier Militaire–Moka | Mahess Teeluck | Labour |
| 8 | Quartier Militaire–Moka | Krishnalall Coonjan | MMM |
| 8 | Quartier Militaire–Moka | Yousuf Mohamed (best loser) | Labour |
| 9 | Flacq–Bon Accueil | Dwarkanath Gungah | MMM |
| 9 | Flacq–Bon Accueil | Kanchandraseeh Bussawon | Labour |
| 9 | Flacq–Bon Accueil | Vijay Jandoosing | MMM |
| 10 | Montagne Blanche– Grand River South East | Ramduthsingh Jaddoo | MMM |
| 10 | Montagne Blanche– Grand River South East | Satcam Boolell | Labour |
| 10 | Montagne Blanche– Grand River South East | Jagdishwar Goburdhun | MMM |
| 10 | Montagne Blanche– Grand River South East | Azize Asgarally (best loser) | MMM |
| 11 | Vieux Grand Port–Rose Belle | Radha Gungoosingh | Labour |
| 11 | Vieux Grand Port–Rose Belle | Dayanundlall Basant Rai | Labour |
| 11 | Vieux Grand Port–Rose Belle | Premdut Doongoor | Labour |
| 12 | Mahebourg–Plaine Magnien | Lutchmeeparsad Badry | Labour |
| 12 | Mahebourg–Plaine Magnien | Lutchmeeparsadsing Ramsahok | MMM |
| 12 | Mahebourg–Plaine Magnien | Harris Ramphul | MMM |
| 12 | Mahebourg–Plaine Magnien | Louis Amedee Darga (best loser) | MMM |
| 12 | Mahebourg–Plaine Magnien | Harold Walter (best loser) | Labour |
| 13 | Riviere des Anguilles–Souillac | Harish Boodhoo | Labour |
| 13 | Riviere des Anguilles–Souillac | Suresh Chandra Poonith | MMM |
| 13 | Riviere des Anguilles–Souillac | Swalay Kasenally | MMM |
| 14 | Savanne–Black River | Hurrydew Ramchurn | Labour |
| 14 | Savanne–Black River | Kaleshwarao Saccaram | Labour |
| 14 | Savanne–Black River | Jean-Claude Augustave | MMM |
| 15 | La Caverne–Phoenix | Kailash Purryag | Labour |
| 15 | La Caverne–Phoenix | Iswardeo Seetaram | Labour |
| 15 | La Caverne–Phoenix | Razack Peeroo | Labour |
| 16 | Vacoas–Floreal | Rohit Beedassy | Labour |
| 16 | Vacoas–Floreal | Emmanuel Bussier | Labour |
| 16 | Vacoas–Floreal | Angidi Chettiar | Labour |
| 17 | Curepipe–Midlands | Pierre Simonet | PMSD |
| 17 | Curepipe–Midlands | Alain Maurice Espitalier-Noël | PMSD |
| 17 | Curepipe–Midlands | Marie Ghislaine Henry | PMSD |
| 17 | Curepipe–Midlands | Clarel Desiré Malherbe (best loser) | Labour |
| 18 | Belle Rose–Quatre Bornes | Paul Bérenger | MMM |
| 18 | Belle Rose–Quatre Bornes | James Burty David | Labour |
| 18 | Belle Rose–Quatre Bornes | Heeralall Bhugaloo | Labour |
| 19 | Stanley–Rose Hill | Jean–Claude de l'Estrac | MMM |
| 19 | Stanley–Rose Hill | Shirin Aumeeruddy-Cziffra | MMM |
| 19 | Stanley–Rose Hill | Vijayanathan Venkatasamy | MMM |
| 20 | Beau Bassin–Petite Riviere | Robert Rey | PMSD |
| 20 | Beau Bassin–Petite Riviere | Eliézer Francois | PMSD |
| 20 | Beau Bassin–Petite Riviere | Vidula Nababasing | MMM |
| 20 | Beau Bassin–Petite Riviere | Finlay Salesse (best loser) | MMM |
| 20 | Beau Bassin–Petite Riviere | Jean Claude Bibi (best loser) | MMM |
| 21 | Rodrigues | Cyril Guimbeau | PMSD |
| 21 | Rodrigues | Nicol François | PMSD |
| Source: Government of Mauritius Bold indicates reelected incumbent MP. |||||