y - NA

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (66 seats - 62
popularly elected, 4 appointed; members serve five-year terms); note -
the election commission appoints four members from the losing
political parties to give representation to various ethnic minorities
elections: last held on 20 December 1995 (next to be held by December
2000)
election results: percent of vote by party - MLP/MMM 65%, MSM/RMM 20%,
other 15%; seats by party - MLP 35, MMM 25, allies of MLP and MMM on
Rodrigues Island 2; appointed were Rodrigues Movement 2, PMSD 1,
Hizbullah 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
government coalition : MLP/MMM alliance, consisting of Mauritian Labor
Party or MLP [Navin RAMGOOLAM] and Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM
[Paul BERENGER]
opposition: MSM/MSR alliance consisting of the Militant Socialist
Movement or MSM [Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH] and the Mauritian Militant
Renaissance or MMR [Dr. Paramhansa NABABSING]; Organization of the
People of Rodrigues or OPR [Louis Serge CLAIR]; Mauritius Social
Democrat Party or PMSD [Xavier-Luc DUVAL]; Hizbullah [Imam Mustapha
BEEHARRY]

Political pressure groups and leaders: various labor unions

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC,
ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU,
PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Chitmansing JESSERAMSING
chancery: Suite 441, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491, 1492
FAX: [1] (202) 966-0983

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador Harold Walter GEISEL (8 July 1996)
embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis
mailing address: International Mail: P.O. Box 544, Port Louis; US
Mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, Department of State, Washington,
DC 20521-2450
telephone : [230] 208-2347, 208-2354, 208-9763 through 9767
FAX: [230] 208-9534

Flag description: four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue,
yellow, and green

Economy

Economy - overview: Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has
developed from a low income, agriculturally based economy to a middle
income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial
services, and tourist sectors. For most of the peri