Réforme électorale : notre solution inclusive avec 67 circonscriptions et un élu par circonscription

Puisque la Primature a accusé réception de notre proposition de réforme électorale et nous a remerciés, nous avons décidé de la rendre publique.

Notre proposition

1. À l'île Maurice, le nombre de circonscriptions électorales passe de 20 à 60, avec un seul membre élu par circonscription. Cette initiative s'inscrit dans une démarche proactive de lutte contre le communalisme et le castéisme, souvent observés dans les comportements électoraux, avec le choix de trois candidats par circonscription. Dans le cadre de l'optimisation des processus électoraux, il est proposé que les 60 circonscriptions soient de taille presque identique. Cela implique qu'elles devraient compter plus ou moins le même nombre d'électeurs, avec une marge d'écart de 10 à 15 %.

2. L'analyse démographique de l'île Rodrigues révèle une augmentation significative de la population électorale. Ainsi, le nombre de circonscriptions devrait passer de une à trois, afin d'assurer une représentation adéquate des électeurs. À l'instar de l'île Maurice, il est préconisé que les trois circonscriptions aient approximativement la même taille électorale (un écart de 10 à 15 % peut être accepté).

3. La création d'une nouvelle circonscription pour Agaléga et Saint-Brandon (Cargados Carajos). Cette circonscription devrait être la plus petite en termes de taille électorale. Cependant, les natifs, les descendants et les résidents d'Agaléga devraient pouvoir avoir leur propre voix et être représentés à l'Assemblée nationale. Depuis 2010, nous préconisons la mise en place d'une circonscription spécifique pour les habitants d'Agaléga. Dans le cadre de notre analyse, nous avons identifié que Saint-Brandon présente un contexte spécifique. En effet, les 28 îlots de Saint-Brandon sont caractérisés par la présence de travailleurs saisonniers et d'une population résidente assez significative. Ces éléments nous amènent à conclure que leur représentation au sein de l'Assemblée nationale devrait être bénéfique, tant sur le plan politique que sur le plan sociétal.

4. Création d'une circonscription électorale pour l'archipel des Chagos et Tromelin. Nous avons demandé depuis 2019 que les Chagos disposent de leur propre circonscription électorale, car nous étions opposés à leur intégration dans l'actuelle circonscription n° 1. Les électeurs de cette nouvelle circonscription seraient les natifs, les descendants et les résidents de l'archipel des Chagos, qu'ils résident à l'île Maurice, à Agalega, aux Seychelles, à l'île de la Réunion, en Europe ou ailleurs. Quant à Tromelin, bien qu'il n'y ait actuellement aucun résident sur cette île, des dispositions devraient être prises pour cette île de la République, afin de combler une lacune constitutionnelle.

5. Création de deux circonscriptions pour la diaspora mauricienne : une pour la diaspora en Europe et une pour la diaspora hors d'Europe, c'est-à-dire dans le reste du monde, notamment au Canada, en Australie, au Moyen-Orient, en Afrique du Sud, etc. Les électeurs inscrits de la diaspora peuvent voter dans les ambassades, hauts-commissariats et consulats de la République de Maurice à travers le monde.

Nous proposons donc 67 circonscriptions au lieu de 21, avec un seul membre élu par circonscription.

Système du meilleur perdant ou Best Loser System (BLS)

Si un système de « meilleur perdant » doit prévaloir, nous proposons deux options au BLS actuel :

Option 1 - Son remplacement par un système dans lequel les quatre meilleurs perdants (les quatre candidats non élus ayant obtenu le plus grand nombre de pourcentage de voix) dans toutes les circonscriptions de la République sont nommés membres de l'Assemblée nationale, indépendamment de leur communauté, religion, ethnicité, sexe, circonscription, etc.

Option 2 - Son remplacement par un système où les quatre meilleurs perdants sont choisis par la Commission électorale sur la base de la religion plutôt que de la communauté. Tous les candidats devraient donc déclarer leur religion le jour des déclarations de candidatures, et les candidats devraient également être autorisés à ne déclarer aucune religion. Les statistiques sur les religions sont déjà disponibles auprès de Statistics Mauritius, et elles sont mises à jour dans le recensement national tous les dix ans environ. Il n'est donc pas nécessaire de procéder à un nouveau recensement pour que cette option entre en vigueur, et nous proposons que les groupes/catégories religieux suivants soient mentionnés dans la Constitution : (a) hindouisme/hindous, (b) christianisme/chrétiens, (c) islam/musulmans, (d) bouddhisme/bouddhistes, et (e) autres religions/croyances.

 

Mauritians in Toronto-Looking back looking forward (by Pamela De St Antoine)

Week-End, 22 June 2008

 

Mauritians in Toronto-Looking back looking forward

In many ways, it would seem like frigid and blustery Canada would be the last place where you would find more than 20,000 immigrants from a tropical island.

This North American country is a very long way from Mauritius: about 10,000 miles and two continents away. It takes two days and one stopover to get there. And the weather can be down right nasty, with winters that never seem to quit, lasting from October to April, with loads of snow and deep-freeze temperatures. While January is one of the hottest months back home, it's one of the coldest in Canada.

Weekend Correspondent Pamela de St. Antoine took a closer look at Canada and discovered why the country is so attractive to immigrants from Mauritius and more than 140 other countries. For several days in April, she met with Mauritians who have settled in Toronto, one of Canada's most diverse and largest cities, to learn more about why they left Mauritius and how they have carved out new lives in what is known as "The Great White North."



Since World War II, Canada has pursued a liberal and open immigration policy, as the country realized that it needed to recruit foreign-born workers to fuel its emerging economy and fill its enormous land mass. A second wave of immigration occurred in the 1960s, and Canada continues to welcome newcomers today - although policies are more restrictive and are currently under review.

Canada and Australia are regarded as models for open immigration, and as a result, a rising proportion of Canadians has roots outside the country. A survey done in 2007 revealed that one in five Canadians - 19.8 percent of the national population - are foreign born. This number is expected to double by 2017.

Cold weather aside, Canada has offered many opportunities to Mauritians who have settled here. They have been encouraged to succeed in Canada's robust economy. They have felt at home in a bilingual country where their English and French skills are coveted. Their children have thrived in an excellent public education system that offers affordable university education. And they feel at home in a multi-cultural society that, at least in the larger cities, respects and encourages diversity.

The largest wave of Mauritian migration to Canada occurred soon after Independence in 1968. With the installation of a Hindu-run majority government in Mauritius, the Chinese, French and Creole communities were concerned about their political and economic futures.

"In the '60s and 70s, when the United States was in Vietnam, the Australian government became reluctant to let in Asians, so Mauritian Chinese looked to the next country that would be open to immigration and that was Canada," said Jean-Mario Tanyan, whose father, Yves, ran the Immigration Bureau in Mauritius at the time. "While Creoles went to Australia, Chinese went in droves to Canada. Being bilingual, it wasn't difficult to adapt."

While the majority of Mauritians in Canada are of Chinese ancestry, the immigration picture has become more diverse in recent years, with immigrants coming from the Indian and Creole communities. The reasons cited for the move include better economic and educational opportunities (immigration tends to spike when the economy sours in Mauritius), as well as a genuine wanderlust and desire to see the world beyond the coral reefs.

"It is genetic in our DNA," said Tanyan, who left Mauritius as a student in 1974 for France and later the U.K. Now a Canadian resident, he shuttles back and forth between Toronto and Montreal selling American-made machines that detect and analyze the presence of lead in various objects.

Mauritians are found in just about all of Canada's major cities, with the largest populations in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa. They have forged new lives in an array of occupations: computers, medicine, university teaching, the arts, politics, engineering, research, law, banking and the culinary arts. Many have used their bilingual skills to find jobs as translators, teachers, linguists, journalists and government workers.

But they haven't forgotten their roots. They have formed Mauritian friendship associations and celebrate Chinese New Year, Christmas and Diwali. They raise funds to help renovate poor schools in Mauritius. And their children balance two cultures, speaking Creole or French at home, while playing ice hockey and rooting for the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team.

"We're trying to preserve our culture. We come here, get a job, have a house, and what's next? We forget the reason we bordered the plane and came here in the first place," said Shiv T. Seechurn, president of the Friends of Mauritius organization in Toronto. "With the Friends of Mauritius, we want to regroup our values for us and our children."

In Toronto, home to an estimated 8,000 Mauritians (there's never been an official count), there are several Mauritian organizations: Club M, founded in 1988, sponsors weekly sports activities and social/cultural events, such as a talk this month by Dr. Vinesh Hookoomsing on the Mauritian diaspora; Friends of Mauritius, a new group that promotes cultural, recreational and community service events and helps newly arrived Mauritians settle in Toronto, and a student group at the University of Toronto, which acts as a social meeting point for Mauritian students.

But some complain that the different ethnic groups don't mix freely and tend to stay within their communities, especially the Chinese Mauritians. "I found this in both Toronto and Montreal," Tanyan said in an interview. "They created associations and clubs that regroup members of their own community. There was this feeling that the Chinese people should stick together."

"Some feel they are not part of the Mauritian community - that there's something missing," added Eric Cader, who anchors a French-language radio show on Sunday mornings in Toronto that highlights news, culture and events in the French-speaking world. Some still have the old mentality that the ethnic groups should be separated along religious lines. "Luckily the younger generation is more open-minded."

Mauritians in Toronto follow news and developments back home very closely, thanks largely to the Internet, and they have some very specific ideas and impressions about what is going on in Mauritius.

Anil Bucktowonsing, who works in the banking industry in Toronto, suggested that Mauritius develop a "strategy of immigration" that encourages people of certain skills and educational background to leave the country - similar to what was done in the 1970s and '80s.

As Mauritius struggles with competition from globalization and the realignment of its sugar and textile industries, many people will find that their skills are more needed in other countries than at home.

"With capacity problems and finite resources" of the island's limited size and small economy, encouraging immigration might actually be a good thing, he said. "Bilingualism is a big asset that Mauritius has and it's an asset that Mauritius can export."

Bilingualism can also work in another way: attracting foreign companies to Mauritius to take advantage of a bilingual workforce and develop businesses like back office operations.

"The key is education," said Hamid Abdool Rahman, who came to Canada in the 1990s and has worked for the Ontario government and as a teacher and translator. "The University of Toronto School of Translation or York University could possibly set up a branch in Mauritius."

Mauritius should also make it attractive, perhaps by changing the income tax structure, for Mauritians living overseas to return and bring with them their money, education and high level skills, said Seechurn, who works at the Canada Revenue Authority.

On another note, he and others expressed deep concern about crime and security in Mauritius, and what they view as a lack of respect for others and a deepening divide between the have and the have-nots in the country. "We have seen a breakdown of values," said Rahman.

Immigration slows but still flows

Canada is still a land of opportunity for newcomers, but it will take some patience to get in. There are currently more than 900,000 immigration applications pending a final decision.

To address this massive backlog, the country is making some important changes to its immigration policies that will likely affect who gets to stay in the country. The changes are controversial and would give the Immigration Minister more power to fast-track immigrants and set an annual limit on how many cases can be processed.

The reason for the backlog is that Canada has traditionally had an open immigration policy. Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the federal agency that processing immigration applications admits roughly a quarter of a million new permanent residents each year.

Canada has three different permanent immigration categories:

- Economic class, which relates to skilled workers and business immigrants; in recent years, 60 percent of newcomers have been in this class. Almost all new Mauritian immigrants are in this category.

- Family class, accounting for 25 percent, of all new immigrants, is based on the concept of family reunification.

- Refugee class, about 15 percent of total, is a longstanding part of Canadian humanitarian tradition to protect refugees from cruel treatment.

In addition to permanent resident status, Canada also offers temporary visas, which allow foreign workers and students to apply for work permits.

"These temporary residents contribute to Canada's economic development by filling gaps in the labor market, enhancing trade and purchasing goods and services," said Sanita Juddoo, an attorney at Able Immigration, with offices in Toronto and Mauritius. "As a general rule, foreign workers must have an approved job offer and a work permit before arriving in Canada."

A group of Mauritians recently obtained temporary permits under this program to work in Canada' meatpacking industry.

Juddoo said that Mauritian applicants for immigration have an advantage over those seeking entry from other countries: they speak English and French. They are also known to be efficient workers, she said, "and adaptable in Canadian work environment."

She encourages newcomers to Canada to research the country prior to arrival, as climate and employment opportunities differ among the 10 provinces.

"They also need to check their professional qualifications equivalencies. In most cases, they will have to go on the specific websites pertaining to their professional and find out which courses they will need to follow to get the proper certification they need. They might not find employment within their field of expertise and might need to take any temporary job while upgrading their skills," she said.

Able Immigration's focus is to help immigrants become permanent residents and citizens of Canada. President Nemaduthsingh Juddoo, a member of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultant, is a former prosecutor for the Attorney General of Mauritius, a barrister at the Supreme Court, and Supreme Court Judge in the Seychelles. http://www.ableimmigration.com

Toronto Facts

- largest city in Canada, with 2.5 million residents, almost twice the size of Mauritius

- the financial center of Canada

- has been an important destination for immigrants; about 50 percent of the population was born outside Canada, adding a rich diversity to the city

- snow can fall in Toronto from November until mid-April

- located in Southern Ontario, Toronto touches three of the five Great Lakes

- the famed Niagara Falls are one hour away by car

- about 8,000 people of Mauritian descent live in greater Toronto, although there's never been an exact count

 Pamela De St Antoine

Mauritian Diaspora : incentive or disincentive? (by Kaviraj Appadu)

Le Mauricien, 12 July 2006

 

Mauritian Diaspora : incentive or disincentive? 

During the past weeks much discussions and debates have taken place around the budget. The challenges for Mauritius are enormous, especially in the present context of globalisation and risk for increased marginalisation. The budget proposal contains a series of interesting measures which obviously need to be debated further.

I was struck, though, by the measures proposed for the Diaspora. The government proposes a number of measures to open up the economy. With regards to the Diaspora, the budget speech states the following : "Encourage the Diaspora to participate in our development by taxing Mauritians on income remitted instead of world-wide income and facilitate their return with a concessionary duty for a car."

I am uncertain whether the Minister or his technicians have given some thoughts to that statement. The statement assumes that the incentive for Mauritians abroad to come and bring their money to Mauritius is a duty free car. This is wrong as I know a lot who would only like to have a bike or a motorcycle, especially in view of preserving the environment. In addition, the statement argues for a tax on remittance. The question is why should Mauritians abroad remit their savings to the Mauritian economy and be taxed for it. In fact, the savings are derived already after tax in the host country. This would mean double taxation. By the way, in a lot of countries where Mauritians are residing, double tax agreements are in place. Some clarity is needed here.

I feel that there is something wrong conceptually here. It is based on emotions rather than economics and probably has been done deliberately to penalise Mauritians abroad who would wish to contribute to the development of the country. In this way, it is a disincentive, and believing that it would boost the interest of Mauritians abroad to remit their money to Mauritius is just an illusion. Why should Mauritians abroad remit their money to Mauritius when they can just move and invest their money freely elsewhere or even in their host country with less bureaucratic hassles and corrupted practices ?

Please Mr. Minister, try to convince me ! I believe that the proposed measures negates in fact the broader philosophy of opening up the economy and expresses a distrust on Mauritians' creativity.

The budget speech makes also reference to IOM as an agency which can facilitate the contribution of the Diaspora. It is good to have hope, but I am uncertain whether IOM can really contribute something. Past experiences have shown that their involvement has been limited to war torn countries and where they have been encouraging refugees to return back etc. It would be worth for Mauritius to assess IOM's experiences in that field prior to expressing confidence in what the organisation can bring to the table.

Kaviraj Appadu

(Member of the Diaspora, Stockholm, Sweden)

Zimbabwe - Pierre Guimbeau : " Expérience traumatisante à ne pas revivre ! "

Week-End, 13 avril 2008

 

Zimbabwe

Pierre Guimbeau: " Expérience traumatisante à ne pas revivre ! "

Après une chaude alerte en fin de semaine quant au danger que couraient le fermier mauricien, Pierre Guimbeau, et son fils Marc, âgé de 14 ans, sur leur propriété dans le district de Chipinge au Zimbabwe, les nouvelles parvenues à Maurice, hier, sont des plus rassurantes. Pierre Guimbeau et son fils ont été libérés sains et saufs de leur ferme assiégée par une cinquantaine de membres de la ZANU-PF du président Robert Mugabe. Ce développement a été rendu possible suite à l'intervention diplomatique de l'ambassadeur mauricien basé à Johannesburg, Ismaël Dossa, auprès des plus hautes autorités au Zimbabwe, vendredi.

" Une véritable expérience traumatisante à ne pas revivre! " ne cessait de répéter Pierre Guimbeau à ceux qui étaient venus aux nouvelles après l'intervention des forces de l'ordre du Zimbabwe face aux éléments de la ZANU-PF, qui avaient la ferme depuis la semaine écoulée en vue de le faire partir de force. Certains de ceux qui se présentaient comme des " Veterans " de la ZANU-PF ont été interpellés pour des délits criminels.

De son côté, dans la matinée d'hier, Pierre et Marc Guimbeau, qui étaient séquestrés à l'intérieur de leur maison sur la ferme, pendant plus de 24 heures, attendaient un camion pour embarquer leurs effets en vue de rejoindre Liz et Rachelle Guimbeau, qui avaient regagné Harare depuis jeudi soir en raison de la situation instable prévalant dans le district de Chipinge. Mais les proches des Guimbeau, que ce soit à Maurice ou au Zimbabwe, concèdent que sans les initiatives diplomatiques initiées par le gouvernement auprès des autorités politiques au Zimbabwe, la situation aurait pu être différente pour ne pas dire dramatique.

" Vers les 23 heures, jeudi, j'ai été informé par un Mauricien installé au Zimbabwe, Benoit Lagesse, qu'un fermier mauricien et son jeune fils faisaient face à de graves difficultés et dangers sur sa ferme au Zimbabwe. Après avoir consigné tous les détails de cette affaire, je me suis mis en contact avec l'ambassadeur du Zimbabwe en Afrique du Sud et cela malgré l'heure avancée dans la nuit, pour solliciter son aide ", a déclaré au téléphone l'ambassadeur Dossa à Week-End.

" J'entretiens d'étroites relations avec ce diplomate zimbabwéen, qui est un membre très influent de la ZANU-PF. Il m'a promis qu'il allait intervenir auprès du commandant en chef de la police de la région pour rétablir la situation. Dès vendredi, il m'a informé que le message avait été transmis. Et aujourd'hui (samedi) matin, j'ai obtenu la confirmation de l'entrée en action des forces de l'ordre et aussi que Pierre et Marc Guimbeau sont sains et saufs. La sœur de Pierre Guimbeau, qui a fait le déplacement de Harare au district de Chipinge, m'a aussi confirmé cet heureux dénouement ", a poursuivi l'ambassadeur Dossa.

Les problèmes de la famille Guimbeau, qui s'est installé dans cette ferme depuis plusieurs années déjà, avaient commencé le week-end dernier quand une cinquantaine de membres se présentant comme faisant partie de la ZANU-PF avaient envahi la ferme. " A mob of around 50 so-called A2 farmers and youth stormed into Mr Guimbeau's yard and tried to break in the house. The shouting and streaming went for some time. Windows were broken but the mob did not get in. They demanded that Mr Guimbeau get out of the house immédiate and leave his small beef and dairy herds ", indiquaient les premiers messages de détresse parvenus à Maurice.

Entre-temps, les partisans au pouvoir, qui reprochaient à la famille Guimbeau d'avoir vendu des produits laitiers et de la viande à des membres de l'opposition du Movement for Democratic Change de Morhan Tsangirai, devaient piller le freezer de son contenu de viande. Pierre Guimbeau devait prendre la décision de faire évacuer son épouse et sa fille sur Harare dès jeudi. Cette démarche a été facilitée vu que la famille avait déjà pris la décision de rentrer à Maurice à la mi-mai.

Mais la situation allait devenir plus dramatique avec un SMS transmis vers les 21 heures 30 par Pierre Guimbeau qui était enfermé dans sa maison sur la ferme encerclée. " Ben help! Call Mauritius Government! Trouble here! Jambanja (a shona term for the violent sieges, barricades inflicted on commercial farmers) since 3. They at shed now. Want the house. No power. No radio. Phone going flat", devait déclarer Pierre Guimbeau à ses amis au Zimbabwe.

Suite à ce message d'extrême détresse, le concours de l'ambassadeur en Afrique du Sud et du gouvernement mauricien fut sollicité pour une intervention au plus haut niveau politique à Harare. Depuis hier, la communauté mauricienne au Zimbabwe a connu un regain de sérénité avec les dernières nouvelles positives de la famille Guimbeau, d'autant plus qu'un ferlier de 70 ans, habitant le district de Chipinge est porté disparu depuis jeudi après son enlèvement de sa voiture.