Ramgoolam dismissed his MMM coalition partners in mid-1997, leaving Labor in power save for several small parties allied with it. Mauritius became a republic on March 12, 1992. Under the amended constitution, political power remained with parliament. The unicameral National Assembly has up to 70 deputies. Elections are scheduled at least every 5 years.
Mauritian law is an amalgam of French and British legal traditions.
There is an additional right of appeal to the Queen's Privy Council. Local government has nine administrative divisions, with municipal and town councils in urban areas and district and village councils in rural areas. The island of Rodrigues forms the country's 10th administrative division. It is heavily reliant on exports of sugar and textiles, but tourism, offshore business, and financial services are growing. Independent surveys typically characterize the Mauritian business environment as among the best in Africa.