View source for National Assembly (Mauritius)

{{Short description|Parliament of Mauritius}}
{{onesource|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox legislature
|name              = National Assembly of Mauritius
|legislature       = [[8th National Assembly of Mauritius|8th National Assembly]]
|coa_pic           = Coat of arms of Mauritius (Original version).svg
|logo_pic          = 
|house_type        = Unicameral
| foundation       = 30 July 1968 <small>(as Legislative Assembly)</small><br />12 March 1992 <small>(as National Assembly)</small><ref>{{Cite web| title=\Mauritius country report | url=https://www.africaportal.org/documents/4829/SAIIA_STRENGTHENING_PARLIAMENTARY_DEMOCRACY_IN_SADC_COUNTRIES_-_MAURITIUS_COUN_sjjfESv.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101001741/https://www.africaportal.org/documents/4829/SAIIA_STRENGTHENING_PARLIAMENTARY_DEMOCRACY_IN_SADC_COUNTRIES_-_MAURITIUS_COUN_sjjfESv.pdf | archive-date=2020-01-01}}</ref>
|structure1        = Mauritius Parliament 2024.svg
|structure1_res    = 250px
|leader1_type      = [[List of Speakers of the National Assembly of Mauritius|Speaker]]
|leader1           = [[Shirin Aumeeruddy-Cziffra]]
|party1            = 
|election1         = 29 November 2024
|leader2_type      = Deputy Speaker
|leader2           = Veda Balamoody
|party2            = [[Mauritian Militant Movement|MMM]]
|election2         = 29 November 2024
|leader3_type      = [[Prime Minister of Mauritius|Prime Minister]]
|leader3           = [[Navin Ramgoolam]]
|party3            = [[Labour Party (Mauritius)|Labour]]
|election3         = 12 November 2024
|leader4_type      = [[Leader of the Opposition (Mauritius)|Leader of the Opposition]]
|leader4           = Georges Lesjongard     
|party4            = [[Militant Socialist Movement|MSM]]
|election4         = 15 November 2024

|members           = 66
|political_groups1 = '''[[Government of Mauritius|Government]] (63)'''
* [[Alliance du Changement]]
** {{Color box|#FF0000|border=silver}} [[Labour Party (Mauritius)|PTr]] (35)
** {{Color box|#800080|border=silver}} [[Mauritian Militant Movement|MMM]] (18)
** {{Color box|#1034A6|border=silver}} [[Nouveau Démocrate (Mauritius)|ND]] (3)
** {{Color box|#FFE100|border=silver}} [[Rezistans ek Alternativ|ReA]] (3)
* {{Color box|#5E171D|border=silver}} [[Rodrigues People's Organisation|OPR]] (2)
* {{Color box|#EE008C|border=silver}} [[Alliance Liberation|AL]] (2)
'''[[Opposition (parliamentary)|Opposition]] (3)'''
* {{Color box|#F5881F|border=silver}} [[Militant Socialist Movement|MSM]] (1)
* {{Color box|#0000CD|border=silver}} [[Mauritian Social Democrat Party|PMSD]] (1)
* {{Color box|#7A7A7A|border=silver}} [[Independent politician|Independent]] (1)
|voting_system1=[[Plurality block voting]]|last_election1    = [[2024 Mauritian general election|10 November 2024]]
|session_room      = Port Louis, Parliament Building.jpg
|session_res       = 260px
|meeting_place     = Parliament House, [[Port Louis]]
|website           = {{Official website|https://mauritiusassembly.govmu.org/SitePages/Index.aspx}}
}}{{Politics of Mauritius}}

The '''National Assembly''' ({{langx|fr|Assemblée nationale}}) is [[Mauritius]]'s [[unicameral]] [[legislature]], which was called the [[Legislative Assembly]] from 1968 until 1992, when the country became a [[republic]]. Prior to 1968 and under [[British Mauritius|British rule]] it was known as the Legislative Council. The [[Constitution of Mauritius]] provides for the [[parliament]] of Mauritius to consist of the President and the National Assembly. The parliament of Mauritius is modelled after the [[Westminster system]] of parliamentary democracy, where members of parliament are voted in at regular general elections, on the basis of a first past the post system. The working language of the National Assembly is [[English language|English]].

It consists of 66 members, 62 directly elected for five-year terms in multi-member [[constituency|constituencies]] and 4 additional members, known as "[[Best Loser System|best losers]]", appointed by the Electoral Supervisory Commission to ensure that ethnic and religious minorities are equitably represented. The Government is primarily responsible to the National Assembly and the prime minister stays in office with the confidence of a majority of its members.

==Constitutional role==
The National Assembly is supreme and determines the functioning of various constitutional institutions of the country.

===President===
The [[President of Mauritius]] and [[Vice-President of Mauritius]] are both elected by the assembly for a five-year term.

===[[Government of Mauritius|Government]]===
The National Assembly is essential to determine which party/group forms the government and therefore the executive of the country. As per the constitution, the prime minister is answerable to and must maintain the support of the assembly. Thus, whenever the office of prime minister falls vacant, the president appoints the person who has the support of the House, or who is most likely to command the support of the House—normally the leader of the largest party in the assembly.

===Opposition===
The political party or alliance which has the second largest majority forms the Official Opposition and its leader is normally nominated by the President of the Republic as the [[Leader of the Opposition (Mauritius)|Leader of the Opposition]].

==Composition==
The Assembly is made of up of 70 members, of whom 62 are directly elected in 21 constituencies. The island of Mauritius is divided into 20 constituencies returning three members each and that of Rodrigues is a single constituency returning two members. After a general election, the Electoral Supervisory Commission may nominate up to a maximum of 8 additional members in accordance with section 5 of the First Schedule of the Constitution with a view to correct any imbalance in community representation in Parliament. This system of nominating members is commonly called the best loser system.

The political party or party alliance which wins the majority of seats in the Assembly forms the government and its leader usually becomes the Prime Minister. It is the Prime Minister who selects the members of the composition of the Cabinet from elected members of the Assembly, except for the Attorney General, who may not be an elected member of the Assembly.

==Represented political parties==
A new assembly was elected on November 10, 2024 and a new coalition government was appointed with [[Navin Ramgoolam]] as prime minister. The following political parties are represented in the assembly (based on the number of MPs):

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;"
|-
! colspan=3 width=225px | Name
! Leader
! Seats
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Labour Party (Mauritius)}}; width:2px;"|
| '''PTr'''
| align=left | [[Labour Party (Mauritius)|Labour Party]]<br /><small>{{lang|fr|Parti travailliste}}</small>
| [[Navin Ramgoolam]]
| {{Composition bar|35|66|{{party color|Labour Party (Mauritius)}}}}
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Mauritian Militant Movement}}; width:2px;"|
| '''MMM'''
| align=left | [[Mauritian Militant Movement]]<br /><small>{{lang|fr|Mouvement Militant Mauricien}}</small>
| [[Paul Bérenger]]
| {{Composition bar|18|66|{{party color|Mauritian Militant Movement}}}}
|-
! style="background:{{party color|New Democrats (Mauritius)}}; width:2px;"|
| '''ND'''
| align=left | [[New Democrats (Mauritius)|New Democrats]]<br /><small>{{lang|fr|Nouveaux Démocrates}}</small>
| [[Khushal Lobine]]
| {{Composition bar|3|66|{{party color|New Democrats (Mauritius)}}}}
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Rezistans ek Alternativ}}; width:2px;"|
| '''ReA'''
| align=left | [[Rezistans ek Alternativ]]
| [[Ashok Subron]]
| {{Composition bar|3|66|{{party color|Rezistans ek Alternativ}}}}
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Rodrigues People's Organisation}}; width:2px;"|
| '''OPR'''
| align=left | [[Rodrigues People's Organisation]]<br /><small>{{lang|fr|Organisation du Peuple Rodriguais}}</small>
| Francisco François
| {{Composition bar|2|66|{{party color|Rodrigues People's Organisation}}}}
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance Liberation}}; width:2px;"|
| '''AL'''
| align=left | [[Alliance Liberation]]
| Dianette Manan-Henriette
| {{Composition bar|2|66|{{party color|Alliance Liberation}}}}
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Militant Socialist Movement}}; width:2px;"|
| '''MSM'''
| align=left | [[Militant Socialist Movement]]<br /><small>{{lang|fr|Mouvement Socialiste Militant}}</small>
| [[Pravind Jugnauth]]
| {{Composition bar|1|66|{{party color|Militant Socialist Movement}}}}
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate}}; width:2px;"|
| '''PMSD'''
| align=left | [[Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate]]
| [[Xavier-Luc Duval]]
| {{Composition bar|1|66|{{party color|Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate}}}}
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Independent}}; width:2px;"|
| colspan=2 | [[Independent (politics)|Independent]]
| ''None''
| {{Composition bar|1|66|{{party color|Independent}}}}
|-
|}

==Procedures==
After a new assembly is elected, the President, by proclamation, may open the new session fixing the date and time of the sitting. The government message (replacing the speech of the throne) is read by the President. The Assembly normally sits on Tuesdays as from 11:30 AM when it is in session. The President acting on the advice of the prime minister may at any time adjourn, prorogue or dissolve the assembly.

==Officials/functions of the Assembly==
The following positions/body have important functions in the assembly. They are as follows:

* [[List of Speakers of the National Assembly of Mauritius|The Speaker]] – the main function of the Speaker is to ensure that the Standing Orders and Rules of the National Assembly are complied with. The Speaker interprets and enforces the Standing Orders and for the purpose of interpretation, recourse is often had to ''[[Erskine May: Parliamentary Practice]]'', responds to Members' points of order and give rulings when necessary. The Speaker symbolizes the authority of Parliament.
* The Deputy Speaker – the deputy speaker assists and acts as the speaker when the latter is out of office. 
* The Leader of the House (Prime Minister) – the president acting on the advice of the prime minister may at any time adjourn, prorogue or dissolve the assembly. 
* The Leader of the Opposition – the office holder is usually to level criticism against the policy and administration of Government and to outline the alternative policies. 
* The Attorney General – the office holder is the national legal adviser to the government and the assembly. 
* The Government Chief Whip – along with the Opposition whip, sets the agenda for the parliamentary work. 
* The Opposition Whip – along with the Chief Whip, sets the agenda for the parliamentary work. 
* The Government Deputy Chief Whip – replaces the Chief Whip when the latter is out of office. 
* The Chairperson of Public Accounts Committee
* The Deputy Chairperson of Committees
* The Clerk
* The Mace – symbol of authority
* The Serjeant-At-Arms
* The Secretariat
* The Library
* The parliamentary reporters

==See also==
*[[List of speakers of the National Assembly of Mauritius]]
*[[Politics of Mauritius]]
*[[List of legislatures by country]]
*[[Government of Mauritius]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://mauritiusassembly.govmu.org mauritiusassembly.govmu.org]

{{Mauritius topics}}
{{Africa legislatures}}
{{National unicameral legislatures}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|20.1630|S|57.5033|E|source:wikidata|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:National Assembly Of Mauritius}}
[[Category:Parliaments by country|Mauritius]]
[[Category:Government of Mauritius]]
[[Category:Unicameral legislatures|Mauritius]]
[[Category:National legislatures|Mauritius]]
[[Category:1958 establishments in Mauritius]]
[[Category:1992 establishments in Mauritius]]