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Mauritius GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Government: Patterned on British system;
political
party with majority support in National Assembly chooses
prime
minister, who selects cabinet. National Assembly has
elected
representatives from twenty three-member constituencies
and one
two-member district on Rodrigues. Also eight seats for
"best
losers": two each for Hindus, Muslims, Chinese, and
general
population. Mauritius became republic in 1992; president
appointed by prime minister and approved by assembly has
titular
function. Supreme Court heads judicial system, based on
Napoleonic Code and English common law. Local government
not
specified in 1968 constitution, but all councils elected.
Politics: Numerous political parties of which
government consists of coalition of Militant Socialist
Movement
(MSM), Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), and several
others;
opposition led by Mauritian Labor Party (MLP) and
Mauritian
Social Democratic Party (PMSD).
Foreign Relations: Member of Commonwealth of
Nations;
has particularly strong relations with Britain, France,
India,
and, since 1990, South Africa. Mauritius supports Indian
Ocean
Zone of Peace; has tension with France over claim to
Tromelin
Island, 550 kilometers northwest. Some strain in relations
with
United States because of United States base on Diego
Garcia
Island. Growing trade relations with Hong Kong, Japan, and
China.
Member of Organization of African Unity.
Data as of August 1994
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