Since gaining independence from Britain in 1968, Mauritius has maintained one of the developing world s most successful democracies. In 1993, the island became a republic within the Commonwealth, with a largely ceremonial president as head of state. Since independence, Mauritius has regularly chosen its representatives in free, fair, and competitive elections. The unicameral national assembly includes 62 directly elected members and the attorney-general, if he is not already an elected member. Only four of eight best loser seats that may be awarded to redress inadequacies in party or ethnic representation are currently assigned.
Decentralized structures govern the country s island dependencies.
The largest of these is Rodrigues Island, which has its own government, local councils, and two seats in the national assembly. An opposition alliance aimed at toppling the ruling Labour Party in the scheduled December 2000 general elections began to form in 1998. Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam has suggested revamping the country s election laws to provide proportional representation. The generally independent judiciary is headed by a supreme court. The legal system is an amalgam of French and British traditions.