Consociationalism, Realpolitik, And The Imperative For Structural Change: The Architecture Of Electoral Reform In Mauritius
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Abstract
Mauritius has long been considered one of Africa's most stable democracies, thanks to its hybrid constitutional structure that combines mass democratic government with institutional guarantees for minority inclusion. The country has methodically constructed a hybrid electoral system in the years following independence in 1968 that allows for both stability through the peaceful coexistence of ethnic groups and secure representation within the Bench and even Parliament via a BLS working alongside an FPTP electoral system. Demands for comprehensive electoral 'reform,' while they gained some ground in the previous decades and guaranteed success, have increased only recently as basic demographic, legal and political conditions have changed to a point no longer tenable. This paper critically analyses the historical development, institutional strengths, constitutional underpinnings and structural constraints of the Mauritian electoral system. The purpose of this research was to compare contemporary reform initiatives taking place within the framework of mixed member proportionality, election administration modernisation, constitutional independent institutions, and democratic legitimacy. A descriptive research design has been adopted where analyses show that Anova, friedman test and SEM have been applied for analysis of perceptions on electoral reform. Findings reveal that electoral systems’ reforms must be defended through the reinforcement of political stability, the elevation of minority representation, enhancement of institutional transparency and promotion of constitutional equality. In order to enhance the level of democratic governance and constitutional resilience in Mauritius, recommendations are made to adopt the Mixed Member Compensatory (MMC) model as an electoral scheme alongside the application of technologically advanced election administration technologies together with strengthening the independent electoral institution
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