Over 1 Million Registered Voters Ahead of Upcoming Elections

The Electoral Commission of Mauritius has officially confirmed a significant milestone this week: the total number of registered voters has surpassed one million for the first time in history, reaching 1,002,857. This number encompasses voters in all 20 constituencies across Mauritius, including the Electoral Ward of Agalega and Rodrigues.

Recent data indicated that Constituency No. 15, La-Caverne/Phoenix, now holds the highest number of voters, totaling 61,235. It has displaced Constituency No. 14, Savanne/Rivière-Noire, which previously held the top position. Following closely is Constituency No. 18, Belle-Rose/Quatre-Bornes, with 60,791 registered voters.

On the contrary, Constituency No. 2, Port-Louis Sud/Port-Louis Central, has the lowest number of voters at just 30,950.

With the elections looming, the Prime Minister, Pravind Jugnauth, will soon announce the election date, which is a constitutional prerogative.

However, the registered voter count may decrease due to expected deaths reported by the Electoral Commission in collaboration with the Civil Status Office.

As political parties are preparing for the upcoming elections, candidates and party officials are eagerly awaiting the official release of the updated voter lists, set to come into effect on August 15.

These lists will serve as a critical resource for strategizing in the various constituencies, especially given the recent changes in electoral boundary delineations as recommended by the Electoral Boundaries Commission.

In Belle-Rose/Quatre-Bornes, a notable electoral contest is anticipated between Xavier-Luc Duval, the former leader of the opposition and head of the Mauritian Social Democratic Party (PMSD), and the current opposition leader, Arvin Boolell.

The Assembly session scheduled for Friday, August 1, is expected to draw considerable attention, as it may be the last before a break leading to a dissolution of Parliament.

Speculation suggested that Pravind Jugnauth, the Leader of the House, may propose a lengthy adjournment, paving the way for the dissolution to occur during this recess, ahead of an impending byelection on October 9 for the Montagne-Blanche/Grande-Rivière-Sud-Est Constituency (No. 10).

This session may also feature the final Private Notice Question (PNQ) from Arvin Boolell for the current legislative term.

The opposition may capitalize on recent revelations related to the cold case of Soopramanien (Kaya) Kistnen, a key figure in the MSM party who was murdered in October 2020.

This ongoing investigation, overseen by Magistrate Vidya Mungroo-Jugurnath, is continuing to loom over the government as the political landscape intensifying in the lead-up to the elections.

Source: Le Mauricien