Date: 19/04/2014 Keshav Jugtah

Dear Jameel,
Re: Electoral Reform
The following are the shortages that I have found in the proposal of the eletoral reforms! "lease
read them arefull# as these are m# own points and #ou will most pro$a$l# find these in newspaper
artiles!
I would advise #ou to print this letter and ta%e it with #ou when #ou will $e on radio! &lso, please
promote the petition lin% that I have reated: https://www!hange!org/petitions/referendum'for'
eletoral'reform( !
)elow is a list of the shortages I found with some omments inluded!
1. The number of voters per constituency are not well balanced.
*or e+ample, as per the eletoral ommission,s register, onstituen# -o! 1 has 41,.2/ eletors
while onstituen# -o! 2 has 24,9/0! & differene of 1/,.// people!
0onstituen# -o! 1 has 12,349 eletors! 4ore than twie that of onstituen# -o! 2!
5ow do #ou e+plain this disrepan#6 7hat %ind of logi and strategies have $een adopted to reah
suh an arrangement for the onstituen# $oundaries6
If the onstituenies were proportional, we should have had around 4.,300 voters per onstituen#!
To $e realisti, let us set a range of 41,000 to 4/,000 voters per onstituen#!
8ven then, onl# si+ onstituenies fit into this range!
*rom the two allianes that went into the eletions together for 2010, here are the ethni
$a%grounds of the andidates:
-o! 1: 1 9eneral "opulations, 1 5indu
-o! 2: 1 4uslims, 1 :ino'4auritian
-o! .: / 4uslims
-o! 4: . 9eneral "opulations, . 5indus
-o! 1: / 5indus
I thin% it is lear from a$ove that the onl# reason wh# our onstituenies are suh is $eause of
ethniit# and religion!
2. Number of MPs to population ratio is too high.
In the onte+t of our ountr#, we should $e having onl# two 4"s per onstituen# and the# should
$e full time 4"s as man# of our atual 4"s have side $usinesses!
The following is an e+trat of similar de$ates going on in the ;<!
0ompared to other ountries, the ;< is massivel# over'represented! 7e, with a population of /0
million people, have /4/ 4"s= 9erman#, with a population of 22 million, has /00= Japan, with a
population of 123 million > twie the si?e of ours > has onl# 430= @ussia, with 144 million, has 410=
and &meria, with 29. million, has 4.0 0ongressmen!
3. We need a second chamber in the Parliament.
The purpose of a seond ham$er is to at as a guardian for the first ham$er! The# regulate the
government and the opposition!
& seond ham$er, in our onte+t will also ompensate for the redued 4"s as suggested a$ove!
4auritius has a uniameral parliamentar# s#stem while the $est would $e a $iameral s#stem Ai!e!
with two ham$ers > e!g! ;<, IndiaB!
. The !irst Past the Post voting system has not been addressed.
The first past the post s#stem is one of the worst sine, it does not give a hane to new andidates
or to andidates who are outdoing their parties!
*or e+ample, a person ma# give two votes to 4:4 and one to a new politial part#!
If there were a ran%ing s#stem, he ould have hosen to elet the new andidate as his num$er one
hoie whih means that one vote would have $een given to eah andidate hosen $ut the weight
of the vote would not have $een the same!
". #andidates with criminal charges against them should apply to the court for permission to
stand for elections.
It is ompletel# illogial to allow andidates with riminal $a%grounds to stand as a andidate for
eletions!
I understand that some people ma# have minor harges against them, therefore it is Custified that
permission should $e sought from the ourt to the satisfation of the pu$li and to prevent further
damages $# allowing a hardore riminal into the parliament!
$. The 1%& minimum votes for '().
&gain, if the onstituenies were eDuivalent in terms of num$er of voters, this would have $een
aepta$le! 5owever, this will severel# penalise new andidates, independents or from new parties!
*. There should be an age limit +retirement age,- for standing in elections.
I find it unaepta$le that in a ountr# where unemplo#ment is on the rise and the retirement age
$eing /1 #ears, our three main politial leaders are //, /9 and 24! If the# were indispensa$le I
would understand, $ut the# are as if sending a message that the #outh toda# is inapa$le of ta%ing
responsi$ilities!
If #ou alulate the average age of all our politiians, #ou might $e sho%ed!
.. (in/ed to the above point- the number of mandates should be limited.
8ven the "resident of &meria is prevented from running for eletions more than twie, $ut in
4auritius, #ou an start #our areer in politis and retire in politis itself! & politiian does not
remain effetive after man# #ears in offie! The $est of them is given in the first/seond mandate!
&ll of the a$ove points have, $# far, not $een addressed in the eletoral reform proposals! 7hat %ind
of reform is this6 If a student li%e me an find so man# mista%es, what %ind of wor% has the
eletoral ommission $een doing6
5ow an suh an important onstitutional deision $e ta%en without a referendum, that too, in a
situation where there is onflit of interest on the part of our e+isting politial parties6
7hat are our law ma%ers doing6
7hat is the :upreme 0ourt doing6
5ow an the# sta# Duiet in a tur$ulent and a ditatorial time li%e this6
"lease help me onve# these issues to the population at large!
0ounting on #our help!
Than%ing #ou in antiipation!
Eours :inerel#,
<eshav Jugtah