Best Loser System

Politics of Mauritius
Constitution
Presidency President Prithvirajsing Roopun Vice-President Eddy Boissezon
Government Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam Deputy Prime Minister Paul Bérenger Cabinet
Legislature National Assembly Speaker: Adrien Charles Duval Leader of the Opposition Joe Lesjongard
Judiciary Supreme Court Chief Justice : Rehana Mungly-Gulbul
Elections Political parties Recent elections: 2019 2024
Administrative divisions Constituencies Districts Outer islands
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister: Alan Ganoo Diplomatic missions of / in Mauritius Passport Visa requirements Visa policy
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The Best Loser System (BLS) refers to the method used in Mauritius since the 1950s to guarantee ethnic representation across the entire electorate in the National Assembly without organising the representation wholly by ethnicity.^[1]

The BLS was strongly advocated by Comité d'Action Musulman (CAM) leader Abdool Razack Mohamed after none of the 6 Muslim candidates (Abdool Razack Mohamed himself, Cassam Mamode Nazroo, Ajam Dahal, Rechad Ben Noorooya, Mamode Ismaël Ghanty, and Ismaël Peeroo) was elected at the 1948 general elections. Mohamed was supported by Labour Party's Seewoosagur Ramgoolam and IFB's Sookdeo Bissoondoyal during his lobby for the BLS.^[2][3]

The island's Constitution provides for 8 additional seats (often called "Best Loser" or "Correctional" seats) to prevent under-representation of minority ethnic groups.^[4] The methodology is applied by the Office of the Electoral Commission after the proclamation of detailed results of each General Election.^[5] The Electoral Commission divides the electorate into four communities: Hindus, Muslims, Sino-Mauritians and the general population. The latter is made up of voters who do not belong to the first three, including Mauritian Creoles, Mulattos and Franco-Mauritians.^[6] The main steps are described as follows:^[7]

1. Based on the ethnic composition of the island dating back to the 1972 census the representation of 4 ethnic communities is compared to the ethnic composition of the elected members. Thus for each community the 1972 community size figure is divided by the number of seats won in the actual election by candidates of that particular community.
2. The most underrepresented ethnic community gets 1 of the first 4 additional seats. This is allocated to the best unsuccessful candidate of that community, irrespective of party affiliations.
3. The same formula is applied 3 additional times, each time the (new) level of under-representation of the ethnic communities is re-calculated. If a community runs out of candidates, the seat is not given to another community, but is kept for later allocation.
4. The Electoral Commissioner determines how many of the first 4 seats have not been given to the political party with the highest number of seats obtained in all 21 constituencies. A corresponding number of seats is then allocated to candidates of that party who belong to the most under-represented ethnic community.

Only 4 Best Losers were nominated by the Electoral Commissioner after the November 2024 General Elections when Alliance du Changement coalition came to power:^[8]

1. Henriette-Manan Dianette (Alliance Liberation)
2. Jacques Edouard (Alliance Liberation)
3. Adrien Charles Duval (Alliance Lepep)
4. Joe Lesjongard (Alliance Lepep)

Following the November 2019 General Elections the Electoral Commissioner (Irfan Rahman) published the list of Best Losers which consisted of the following:^[9]

1. Richard Duval (Alliance Nationale PTr-PMSD)
2. Eshan Juman (Alliance Nationale PTr-PMSD)
3. Stephan Toussaint (Alliance Morisien MSM-ML)
4. Stéphanie Anquetil (Alliance Nationale PTr-PMSD)
5. Fazila Jeewa Daureeawoo (Alliance Morisien MSM-ML)
6. Tania Diolle (Alliance Morisien MSM-ML)
7. Anwar Husnoo (Alliance Morisien MSM-ML)
8. Marie Arianne Navarre-Marie (MMM)

There were 7 Best Losers who were nominated as a result of the December 2014 General Elections. These seats were allocated by the Electoral Commissioner (Irfan Rahman) to the following candidates who had not been elected:^[10]

1. Alain Wong (Alliance Lepep MSM-PMSD-ML)
2. Thierry Henry (Alliance Lepep MSM-PMSD-ML)
3. Raffick Sorefan (Alliance Parti Travailliste/Mouvement Militant Mauricien (Alliance PTr/MMM))
4. Franco Quirin (Alliance Parti Travailliste/Mouvement Militant Mauricien (Alliance PTr/MMM))
5. Guy Lepoigneur (Alliance Lepep MSM-PMSD-ML)
6. Salim Abbas Mamode (Alliance Lepep MSM-PMSD-ML)
7. Jean-Claude Barbier (Alliance Parti Travailliste/Mouvement Militant Mauricien (Alliance PTr/MMM))

Following the 2010 General Elections the Labour-MSM-PMSD coalition came to power and the Electoral Commission nominated 7 Best Losers who had not been elected:^[11]

1. Stéphanie Anquetil (PTr-MSM-PMSD)
2. Francisco François (OPR)
3. Josique Radegonde (MMM)
4. Raffick Sorefan (MMM)
5. Michael Sik Yuen (PTr-PMSD-MSM)
6. Reza Issack (PTr-PMSD-MSM)
7. Aurore Perraud (PTr-PMSD-MSM)

Soon after his 2010 nomination as a Best Loser, as well as Minister of Commerce, Cooperatives and Consumer Protection, it was revealed by the Electoral Commission that Michael Sik Yuen had identified himself as belonging to Population Générale instead of Sino-Mauricien during the nomination phase of these elections. He later justified his decision by claiming that the Best Loser System is too divisive and that it hinders the unification of the Mauritian nation. In 2014 a new party Rassemblement Citoyen pour la Patrie advertised that all its candidates would identify as to Population Générale in order to make the Best loser system less divisive. However, if adopted on a large scale, such practice would distort the allocation of seats, further undermining the representation of minorities.^[12][13]

8 Best Losers were nominated to the National Assembly by the Electoral Commissioner following the 2005 General Elections as the Labour-PMSD coalition headed the new government:^[14]

1. James Burty David (PTr-PMSD)
2. Christian Léopold (MR)
3. Nicholas Von-Mally (MR)
4. Etienne Sinatambou (PTr-PMSD)
5. Cader SayedHossen (PTr-PMSD)
6. Jean-François Chaumière (PTr-PMSD)
7. Dany Perrier (MSM-MMM)
8. Showkutally Soodhun (MSM-MMM)

8 Best Losers were nominated by the Electoral Commission after the victory of the MSM-MMM coalition. 2 of these nominees (Yerrigadoo and Ramdass) were Hindus but from minority Telugu and Tamil communities:^[15]

1. Nicholas Von Mally (Mouvement Rodriguais)
2. James Burty David (PTrPMSD)
3. Ahmad Jeewa (MMM)
4. Christian Léopold (MR)
5. Anwar Omar (MSM-MMM)
6. Motee Ramdass (MSM-MMM)
7. Ravi Yerrigadoo (MSM-MMM)
8. Xavier-Luc Duval (PTr-PMSD)

Only 4 Best Losers were nominated after the 1995 General Elections when the Labour-MMM coalition came to power:^[16]

1. Gaëtan Duval (Parti Gaëtan Duval)
2. Nicholas VonMally (Mouvement Rodriguais)
3. Imam Mustapha Beeharry (Mouvement Islamiste)
4. Alex Nancy (Mouvement Rodriguais)

There were 4 Best Losers who were nominated after the 1991 General Elections as the MSM-MMM coalition came to power:^[17]

1. Razack Peeroo (PTr-PMSD)
2. Gaëtan Duval (PTr-PMSD)
3. Siddick Chady (PTr-PMSD)
4. Clarel Malherbe (PTr-PMSD)

There were 8 Best Losers who were nominated after the 1987 General Elections:^[18]

1. Sahid Maudarbocus (MMM)
2. Swalay Kasenally (MMM)
3. Germain Comarmond (MSM-PTr)
4. Karl Offmann (MSM-PTr)
5. Showkutally Soodhun (MSM-PTr)
6. Alain Laridon (MSM-PTr)
7. Régis Finette (MSM and PMSD)
8. Zeel Peerun (MMM)

There were 8 Best Losers who were nominated after the 1983 General Elections:^[19]

1. Paul Bérenger (MMM)
2. Joceline Minerve (MMM)
3. France Canabady (MMM)
4. Ghislaine Henry (PMSD)
5. Kamil Ramoly (PMSD)
6. Sylvio Michel (MSM-PTr)
7. Ismaël Nawoor (MSM-PTr)
8. Georgy Candahoo (MSM-PTr)

There were 4 Best Losers were eventually nominated to the Legislative Assembly by the Electoral Commission although victorious party MMM had seriously considered the abolition of the Best Loser system:^[20]

1. Gaëtan Duval (PMSD)
2. Nicol François (PMSD)
3. Marie-France Roussety (PTr-PMSD)
4. Michael Glover (PTr-PMSD)

Following the 1976 General Elections the Best Losers included the following candidates who had not been elected:

1. Yousuf Mohamed^[21]
2. Harold Walter (Mauritius)^[22]