Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Sarah Jane Lebrasse
Published on 2024-04-02 03:00:27
The conference on the Constitution of Mauritius organized by Rezistans ek Alternativ (ReA), co-chaired by Nalini Burn and Satyajit Boolell at Unity House in Beau-Bassin, resulted in a consensus on decolonization and the Mauritianization of the Constitution. Ashok Subron announced the organization of two more conferences to further explore the proposals made on Saturday and mobilize opposition parties.
Among the proposals discussed was the importance of introducing a form of proportional representation for better representation of the population, including women, in Parliament. There was also discussion about limiting the Prime Minister to two terms, strengthening institutions, and abolishing the mention of one’s communal identity in the Constitution. Proposals were also made regarding rights related to the environment, ecology, and culture, to ensure more transparency in the country’s management, among other things.
Kuran Parapen of ReA welcomed the participants and attendees to the conference, emphasizing that the upcoming general elections should not be a repeat of the past. He stated that there needs to be fundamental changes in addition to a change in regime, making constitutional reform the cornerstone of ReA’s strategy for the upcoming elections.
He explained that ReA leaders have met with all opposition forces, regardless of their ideological alignment, emphasizing the need for a shared desire for fundamental change in decision-making in the country.
“There is a deep desire for change in Mauritius, not just political change, but radical change,” he emphasized. He pointed out that thousands of Mauritians took to the streets with a clear message: “Enough is enough.”
Therefore, it is up to political parties to interpret this movement and provide a political response. He stressed that the Constitution is the backbone of society, noting that democracy is “undermined, threatened, and in danger,” beyond political affiliations, everyone must work together to strengthen democracy.
The Co-Chair of the conference, Satyajit Boolell, reiterated that the Constitution is the supreme law of the country, and any legislation that does not comply with the Constitution is invalid. He mentioned that the 1968 Constitution was a political document resulting from a compromise when the country was divided.
“The strength of the Constitution lies in the creation of independent institutions, with a Parliament tasked with making political decisions,” he maintained. However, he believes the country suffers from “constitutional inertia.”
Satyajit Boolell also criticized the arbitrary amendment of the Constitution to allow the dismissal of senior officials and highlighted how amendments in 1983 weakened the independence of the civil service.
The order of interventions at the conference was determined by a draw. However, representatives of the Ptr-MMM-PMSD alliance chose to speak with one voice, causing some upheaval among the audience regarding time allocation. The confusion was later cleared up by Stefan Gua’s explanations.
The first speaker, Geraldine Joulia-Hennequin of Ideal Democratie, listed her constitutional proposals, including a two-term limit for the Prime Minister, the introduction of proportional representation, removing barriers to ethnic groups’ participation in politics, and ensuring appropriate representation for these groups in Parliament.
Francois Sarah of En Avant Moris observed that principles are constantly violated by partisan politics, such as the sovereignty of the people, separation and independence of state powers, and ensuring equal exercise of powers. He proposed strengthening chapters 1 and 2 of the Constitution and the creation of a State Council within the presidency office.
Ashok Subron clarified that ReA is an ecosocialist party. He mentioned the proposed changes focus on deepening democracy and Mauritianizing the electoral system to introduce participatory and inclusive democracy in the context of upcoming elections.
Therefore, he emphasized the need for all candidates to be considered Mauritian citizens, advocating for replacing communal classification with a proportional system in the electoral system to ensure representation of all political perspectives and women in the National Assembly, as well as the introduction of the Right to Recall.
Ivor Tan Yan of Linion Moris noted that while the current Constitution is not the country’s first, the 1968 version grants significant powers to the Prime Minister. He suggested measures such as introducing ecology and environmental initiatives, Digital Rights for Mauritian citizens.
Kailash Trilochun of Reform Party stressed the need for a Bill of Rights and believed the country should not belong to just a few families.
Veda Baloomoody recognized the importance of modernizing the Constitution to adapt to the times, advocating for electoral reform to allow any citizen to run for office without having to disclose their community.
Public concern was also raised about the roles of high-ranking officials and measures proposed to ensure their independence and prevent government interference.
Overall, the conference highlighted the consensus on Mauritianizing the Constitution and introducing proportional representation for better gender and ethnic representation in political institutions, as well as proposals to uphold environmental, ecological, and cultural rights for transparent governance.
Read the original article(French) on Le Mauricien
