1886 Mauritian general election

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General elections were held for the first time in Mauritius between 11 and 20 January 1886. [1] They followed the introduction of a new constitution the previous year. The Democrats and Reformists (also known as the Oligarchs) each won five of the ten elected seats. [1]

Contents

Electoral system

The new constitution provided for a 28-member Council of Government, which consisted of the Governor, 12 officials, 5 appointed members and 10 elected members. [2] The ten elected members were returned from nine constituencies formed from the nine districts, which all districts returning one member except Port Louis, which returned two. [3] Voting took place in each constituency on a different day, starting in Port Louis on 11 January and ending in Grand Port on 20 January. [1]

The franchise for the elections was severely limited; the right to vote was restricted to male British subjects aged 21 and over and who possessed 300 of immovable property or movable property worth ₨3,000, a monthly salary of ₨50, those paying rent of ₨25 a month or paying a licence duty of at ₨200 a year. People married to eligible voters, or the oldest son of a qualifying widow were also entitled to vote. [3] As a result, although the population of Mauritius was 359,688, only 4,061 people were eligible to vote, [1] of which just 253 were Asian. [4]

Campaign

A total of 25 candidates contested the elections; led by William Newton, [1] the Reformists nominated ran candidates in all ten constituencies. The Democrats put forward nine, with their leader Onésipho Beaugeard running in two constituencies. The remaining six candidates were independents, one of whom (Arthur Pitot) also ran in two candidates. [1]

Despite the limited franchise, election notices were published in English, French, Hindustani (written in Arabic script), Tamil and Chinese. [5]

Results

PartyVotes%Seats
Democrats 2,70949.215
Reformists 2,13638.805
Independents66011.990
Total5,505100.0010
Registered voters/turnout4,061
Source: Le Mauricien [1]

By constituency

ConstituencyCandidatePartyVotes%
Flacq
(222 registered)
Charles Adam Reformists 12559.5
Yves Pierre Jollivet Democrats 8540.5
Grand Port
(273 registered)
Henri Joseph Portal Reformists 10950.5
Edgar Gallet Democrats 6228.7
Fabien RaultIndependent4520.8
Moka
(187 registered)
Henri Leclézio Reformists 13781.5
Onésipho Beaugeard Democrats 3118.5
Pamplemousses
(270 registered)
Charles Joseph Planel Democrats 15651.8
W A Edwards Reformists 9631.9
De Evenor ChazalIndependent4515.0
Louis VigoureuxIndependent41.3
Plaines Wilhems
(653 registered)
Célicourt Antelme Democrats 40767.3
Povah Ambrose Reformists 19432.1
Arthur PitotIndependent40.7
Port Louis
(1,986 registered)
Onésipho Beaugeard Democrats 94126.4
Gustave de Coriolis Democrats 87924.7
William Newton Reformists 70519.8
John Alexander FergusonIndependent52314.7
Georges Guibert Reformists 51114.4
Rivière du Rempart
(163 registered)
Edgar Antelme Democrats 6139.6
Louis Rouillard Reformists 5535.7
P L ChastellierIndependent3824.7
Rivière Noire
(115 registered)
Vincent Geoffroy Reformists 5551.4
Thorny Pitot Democrats 5147.7
Arthur PitotIndependent10.9
Savanne
(192 registered)
Virgile Naz Reformists 14980.5
Anderson James Forrester Democrats 3619.5

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "HISTOIRE: Les premières élections générales opposent Oligarques et Démocrates" [HISTORY: The first general elections set the Oligarchs against the Democrats]. Le Mauricien (in French). 2011-12-26. Archived from the original on 2015-10-29.
  2. Selvon, Sydney (2012). Volume 2: From British Mauritius to the 21st Century. A New Comprehensive History of Mauritius. Vol. 2. Port-Louis, Mauritius: MDS Editions. ISBN   1480168440.
  3. 1 2 "Constitutional Evolution of Mauritius from British rule to Independence" (PDF). Government of Mauritius. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-12-08.
  4. Sternberger, Dolf; Vogel, Bernhard; Nohlen, Dieter; Landfried, Klaus (1978). Politische Organisation und Repräsentation in Afrika[The election of parliaments and other state bodies: political organization and representation in Africa]. Die Wahl der Parlamente und anderer Staatsorgane (in German). Vol. Band 2 Afrika. De Gruyter. p. 1394. ISBN   9783110904802.
  5. Ballhatchet, Kenneth (December 1995). "The structure of British official attitudes: Colonial Mauritius 1883−1968". The Historical Journal. 38 (4). Cambridge University Press: 989−1011. doi:10.1017/S0018246X00020537.