§ 67. Mr. Dribergasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the visit of the Parliamentary Secretary to Mauritius, and on the modifications of the Banwell proposals that have been agreed.
§ 68. Mr. James Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement upon the visit of the Parliamentary Secretary to Mauritius.
93W
§ Mr. Frederick LeeMy hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State visited Mauritius last week to examine on the spot the various points raised and views expressed in the Mauritius Legislative Assembly regarding the recommendations of the report of the Banwell Commission on the electoral system.
After full discussion with the Mauritius Premier, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, his Ministerial colleagues and with leaders and members of the Opposition in Mauritius, full agreement was reached on certain variations of the recommendations of the Banwell Report which would make it generally acceptable. I immediately informed Mr. Stonehouse that I was willing to accept these variations and he announced this before leaving Mauritius on Monday last, 4th July.
The variations to the Banwell recommendations which I have approved are set out in detail in a memorandum available in the Library. In brief, whilst the scheme proposed by the Commission for constituency elections is to be retained in full, changes have been made in the "correctives" recommended by the Commission. In place of these, eight Specially Elected Members will be returned from amongst unsuccessful candidates who have made the best showing in the election. The first four of these seats will go, irrespective of party, to the "best losers" of whichever communities in the island are underrepresented in the Legislative Assembly after the constituency elections. The remaining four seats will be allocated on the basis of both party and community.
Only two other important changes are to be made in the Banwell recommendations. Party alliances, as well as parties, will be permitted to qualify for the "best loser" seats (the Commission had proposed that only individual parties should be permitted to qualify for their recommended corrective seats); and the Commission's recommendation that a party should secure certain minimum results in the constituency elections in order to qualify for certain of the proposed corrective seats will be dropped and no corresponding provision will be made in relation to the "best loser" seats.
The general effect of the electoral system now accepted by all parties in 94W Mauritius will be that, as a result of the allocation of the eight "best loser" seats, all communities will be better able to obtain a fair share of the seats in the Legislative Assembly in accordance with their strength in the population.
I welcome the good sense and statesmanship shown by all concerned in the discussions with my hon. Friend, which augurs well for the future of Mauritius. I regard the arrangements agreed on as most satisfactory and consider that my hon. Friend is to be congratulated on the success of his mission.