The Prime Minister, Honourable Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, announced the dissolution of Parliament on Sunday 6th October and called for the holding of the next general elections on Thursday 7th November 2019. Accordingly, the writ for general elections was issued on the night of the announcement by the President of the Republic.
It is highly anticipated that Thursday 7th November 2019 will be declared a public holiday. Counting of votes and proclamation of results generally take place on the following day.
Our valued clients are therefore requested to consider the possible impact of the forthcoming elections on any of their travel plans to Mauritius for this period.
In the event that a public holiday is proclaimed for the elections, our offices will be closed. Banks will also be closed.
About the General Elections
According to the Democracy Index 2018 published by the Economic Intelligence Unit, Mauritius which is ranked 17th worldwide, is the only Full Democracy in Africa.
The Mauritius government is based on the Westminster model where the National Assembly is supreme. The Prime Minister is elected by the population and is endowed with full executive powers. The President and the Vice-president, on the other hand, are elected by the National Assembly.
General elections are held in Mauritius every 5 years, the last one being in December 2014. The last elections saw the victory of “L’Alliance LePep”, a coalition of several political parties led by the “Mouvement Socialiste Militant” (MSM), a centre-left political party that advocates socialism and democracy.
Similar to past elections, we expect this year’s General Elections to be carried out in a peaceful and orderly manner.
The verdict of the ballot box should not be a cause of worry for the international investor community since economic liberalization and the improvement of the ease of doing business in Mauritius remain high on the agenda of all the contending parties in this election. The proof lies in the economic transformation of the island nation since its independence in 1968 – from a mono-crop economy to a diversified one that has positioned itself as the International Financial Centre of choice for the region despite multiple changes in government regimes.
Should you have any queries pertaining to the upcoming elections and on how our service levels may be impacted, please write to us on info@intercontinentaltrust.com
