os Shoals*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses,
Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne

Independence:
12 March 1968 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 12 March (1968)

Constitution:
12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992

Legal system:
based on French civil law system with elements of English common
law in certain areas

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 7 October
2003) and Vice President Abdool Raouf BUNDHUN (since 25 February
2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Paul BERENGER (since 30 September
2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president and vice president elected by the National
Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 25 February 2002
(next to be held NA 2007); prime minister and deputy prime minister
appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly
election results: Karl OFFMANN elected president and Raouf BUNDHUN
elected vice president; percent of vote by the National Assembly -
NA; note - Karl OFFMANN stepped down on 30 September 2003

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (66 seats; 62 elected by popular vote,
4 appointed by the election commission from the losing political
parties to give representation to various ethnic minorities; members
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 11 September 2000 (next to be held NA
September 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - MSM/MMM 52.3%, MLP/PMSD
36.9%, OPR 10.8%; seats by party - MSM/MMM 54, MLP/PMSD 6, OPR 2

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
Hizbullah [Cehl Mohamed FAKEEMEEAH]; Mauritian Labor Party or MLP
[Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]; Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul
BERENGER] - in coalition with MSM; Mauritian Social Democrat Party
or PMSD [Charles Xavier-Luc DUVAL]; Militant Socialist Movement or
MSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH] - governing party; Rodrigues Movement or MR
[Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY]; Rodrigues Peoples Organization or OPR
[Serge CLAIR]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
various labor unions

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol,