List of Presidents of Mauritius
Encyclopedia
The President of Mauritius is the head of State
and of Mauritius
and all its Dependencies. He is also the commander-in-chief
.He is the de facto sovereign of Mauritius as the Office is considered to be the sovereignty of the Republic. As per the constitution based on the Act 6 section 58 part 1 ,the executive authority of Mauritius is vested in the President.The President is the Republic ,this is the seal of the office.
The president is elected by the National Assembly
for term of five years; it is a largely ceremonial position. It is the highest ranking position and he or she is the highest paid civil servant, however the actual executive is the prime minister. The position was created in 1992 after Mauritius was declared a republic
. It replaced the previous role of the Governors General, representative of the monarch
. Being the head of state, the person accessing to the post cannot be appointed but is normally sworn to power by the constitution. It stipulates them to swear to fight for the country and also to honour the position. The president has the power to appoint the prime minister. The official residence is at the Château of Réduit
which is found in Réduit
.
The Constitution also says that the President shall be elected by the Assembly on a motion made by the Prime Minister and supported by the votes of a majority of all the members of the Assembly; and subject to this section and section 30, hold office for a term of 5 years and shall be eligible for re-election. The motion is not the subject matter of a debate in the Assembly.
The president precedes over all governmental position in the country.He/she is chosen out of qualifications and also is it seen that the country's all cultures must be represented by him or her.This is done by electing presidents of different religious and cultural background from the preceded one.
The President is the head of state as well lord governor of the all five principalities of the Country.He enjoys mostly legislative and ceremonial powers as most of the executive bills in parliament is held by the Prime Minister's office.
The Longest Serving President is Cassam Uteem
serving in 2 full terms for 9 years. The Shortest serving President is Angidi Chettiar
who was President for only 3 days from 15 February 2002 to 18 February 2002 due to his sudden resignation.
Incumbent President is Anerood Jugnauth
who took office in September 2003 and was unanimously re-elected in 2008 for a second mandate .He is the second president just after uteem to be elected for a second time .He is expected to leave office in 2013.
Before gaining independence in 1968, it was the Monarch of the United Kingdom who served as sovereign of the dependency while the representative of head of state was a Viceroy
or Governor
.
After obtaining independence in 1968, the head of state was the Monarch of Mauritius
. The only person who reigned as the Mauritian monarch was Elizabeth II
; she was represented by the Governor General.
On 12 March 1992, Mauritius was declared a republic
under a new constitution which made the head of state of the nation a president. Along with serving as head of state, the president also became the commander-in-chief
.It is noted that actual President Sir Anerood Jugnauth was the main activist for fighting for the Republic and he is considered as "Father of the Republic".
The person elected to the office of President, he shall not, whilst in office,hold any other office of emolument, whether under the Constitution or otherwise exercise any profession or calling or engage in any trade or business.
The President at the expiry of his term, continues to hold office until another person assumes office as President.
He can be suspended or removed from the National Assembly on the basis of violation of the Constitution or any other serious act of misconduct,inability to perform his functions whether arising from infirmity of mind or body or from any other cause.
Where the office of President is vacant, or the President is absent from Mauritius or is for any other reason unable to perform the functions of his office, those functions shall be performed by the Vice-President or where there is no Vice-President –
by the Chief Justice.
His or her job is to represent the country on international basis but not govern the country, it is the Prime Minister who governs. He nevertheless earns the highest salary in the government service.
The president resides at the Château of Réduit
with his partner and the general secretary.
If the president does not agree to sign a bill, amendment or act on the second time that it has been put before them, they are given no other choice but to leave the office to make way for a new president. The president is nominated and elected by the National Assembly
.
(2) Subject to section 64(5), no process, warrant or summons shall be issued or executed against the President during his term of office.
(3) The President is entitled to no payment of any rent or tax to the use of his official residence and to such emoluments, allowances and privileges, exempt from any tax thereon, as may be prescribed.
(4)The President of the Republic has also one very desired privilege .He can have mercy on any criminal and if the President is convinced of his innocence without the advice and on personal ground ,he/she may grace the criminal liberty and also a emptied police criminal file of that person.He may therefore only once during his term grace anyone of illegal acts and thus can free that person of any charges even of 1st degree of murder but he should prove the innocence of that individual.
(5)A former and Ex-President is also entitled to obtain a pension same as his latest salary in his office term. However during the revaluation of civil service salaries ,his pension may be increased up to the ratio of increase in the salary of actual president.One example ,if actual president's salary is increased by 30% ,therefore the pension of former presidents will also be increased by 30%.
The oath is administered in the public or in the State House as deemed to be right by the elected President .The oath is as followed
I,(name of elected president), do swear (or solemnly affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law and that I will devote myself to the service and well being of the people of Mauritius.
, the highest order found in Mauritius
. The president, on the recommendation of the prime minister, announces the list of honourees and personally decorates them. The order is received on Mauritius' Labour Day
.
There is a specific number of people who can be elevated to the different grades decided with the consent of the President only.The others are given by the National Assembly.
Recently one Chief executive officer of Canadian origin was elevated by incumbent President, Sir Anerood Jugnauth at his own pleasure without the advise of the Parliament.
, Moka
. The president resides in the former residence of the Governors general. Official meetings are carried out in their office situated in the Old Mansion.
The incumbent president had declared a budget allocated to the renovation of the big palace.The renovation started in 2002 and ended in 2003 and president Karl Offmann
was provided with another living area due to construction disturbance.
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
and of Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
and all its Dependencies. He is also the commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
.He is the de facto sovereign of Mauritius as the Office is considered to be the sovereignty of the Republic. As per the constitution based on the Act 6 section 58 part 1 ,the executive authority of Mauritius is vested in the President.The President is the Republic ,this is the seal of the office.
The president is elected by the National Assembly
National Assembly of Mauritius
The National Assembly is Mauritius's unicameral parliament, which was called the Legislative Assembly until 1992, when the country became a republic...
for term of five years; it is a largely ceremonial position. It is the highest ranking position and he or she is the highest paid civil servant, however the actual executive is the prime minister. The position was created in 1992 after Mauritius was declared a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
. It replaced the previous role of the Governors General, representative of the monarch
Commonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
. Being the head of state, the person accessing to the post cannot be appointed but is normally sworn to power by the constitution. It stipulates them to swear to fight for the country and also to honour the position. The president has the power to appoint the prime minister. The official residence is at the Château of Réduit
Château of Réduit
The State House or The Château of Réduit is the Official Residence of the President of Mauritius. It is found in Réduit, at the rear of the University of Mauritius and also at the end of Plaine Willhems district. It served as the residence for the former governors of Mauritius, but at present it is...
which is found in Réduit
Réduit (Mauritius)
Réduit is a suburb of the Moka town in Mauritius.Most educational institutions like the University of Mauritius , the Mauritius College of The Air , the Mauritius Institute of Education , the Mauritius Examination Syndicate are all based in Réduit, making it a Center for Secondary and Tertiary...
.
The Constitution also says that the President shall be elected by the Assembly on a motion made by the Prime Minister and supported by the votes of a majority of all the members of the Assembly; and subject to this section and section 30, hold office for a term of 5 years and shall be eligible for re-election. The motion is not the subject matter of a debate in the Assembly.
The president precedes over all governmental position in the country.He/she is chosen out of qualifications and also is it seen that the country's all cultures must be represented by him or her.This is done by electing presidents of different religious and cultural background from the preceded one.
The President is the head of state as well lord governor of the all five principalities of the Country.He enjoys mostly legislative and ceremonial powers as most of the executive bills in parliament is held by the Prime Minister's office.
The Longest Serving President is Cassam Uteem
Cassam Uteem
Cassam Uteem is a Mauritian political figure who served as President of Mauritius from 30 June 1992 to 15 February 2002 and is the longest serving President of Mauritius, having served for nine years....
serving in 2 full terms for 9 years. The Shortest serving President is Angidi Chettiar
Angidi Chettiar
Angidi Verriah Chettiar was a Mauritian politician who served as the Vice President of Mauritius from August 2007 until his death in September 2010. Angidi Chettiar was born in Madurai in the State of Tamil Nadu, India and came to Mauritius at the age of 10. The Chettiar family is a family of...
who was President for only 3 days from 15 February 2002 to 18 February 2002 due to his sudden resignation.
Incumbent President is Anerood Jugnauth
Anerood Jugnauth
Sir Anerood Jugnauth , KCMG, QC, GCSK, PC, LLB, GOLH, GOP, ORS is the President of Mauritius and all its dependencies...
who took office in September 2003 and was unanimously re-elected in 2008 for a second mandate .He is the second president just after uteem to be elected for a second time .He is expected to leave office in 2013.
History
- Pre-independence
Before gaining independence in 1968, it was the Monarch of the United Kingdom who served as sovereign of the dependency while the representative of head of state was a Viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
or Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
.
- 1968–1992
After obtaining independence in 1968, the head of state was the Monarch of Mauritius
Commonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
. The only person who reigned as the Mauritian monarch was Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
; she was represented by the Governor General.
- After 1992
On 12 March 1992, Mauritius was declared a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
under a new constitution which made the head of state of the nation a president. Along with serving as head of state, the president also became the commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
.It is noted that actual President Sir Anerood Jugnauth was the main activist for fighting for the Republic and he is considered as "Father of the Republic".
Constitutional Position
The constitution of the country stipulates that there shall be a President who shall be the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Republic of Mauritius.- 1.The President shall be elected by the Assembly on a motion made by the Prime Minister and supported by the votes of a majority of all the members of the Assembly and subject to this section and section 30, hold office for a term of 5 years and shall be eligible for re-election.
- 2. No person shall be eligible for election to the office of President unless he is a citizen of Mauritius who is not less than 40 years of age and has resided in Mauritius for a period of not less than 5 years immediately preceding the election.
The person elected to the office of President, he shall not, whilst in office,hold any other office of emolument, whether under the Constitution or otherwise exercise any profession or calling or engage in any trade or business.
The President at the expiry of his term, continues to hold office until another person assumes office as President.
He can be suspended or removed from the National Assembly on the basis of violation of the Constitution or any other serious act of misconduct,inability to perform his functions whether arising from infirmity of mind or body or from any other cause.
Where the office of President is vacant, or the President is absent from Mauritius or is for any other reason unable to perform the functions of his office, those functions shall be performed by the Vice-President or where there is no Vice-President –
by the Chief Justice.
Powers
While the president is the head of state, they have no real power over the government. They president should not be in any political party while serving, though many served in a party in some other posting.His or her job is to represent the country on international basis but not govern the country, it is the Prime Minister who governs. He nevertheless earns the highest salary in the government service.
The president resides at the Château of Réduit
Château of Réduit
The State House or The Château of Réduit is the Official Residence of the President of Mauritius. It is found in Réduit, at the rear of the University of Mauritius and also at the end of Plaine Willhems district. It served as the residence for the former governors of Mauritius, but at present it is...
with his partner and the general secretary.
If the president does not agree to sign a bill, amendment or act on the second time that it has been put before them, they are given no other choice but to leave the office to make way for a new president. The president is nominated and elected by the National Assembly
National Assembly of Mauritius
The National Assembly is Mauritius's unicameral parliament, which was called the Legislative Assembly until 1992, when the country became a republic...
.
Privileges and immunities
(1) Subject to section 64(5), no civil or criminal proceedings shall lie against the President in respect of the performance by him of the functions of his office or in respect of any act done or purported to be done by him in the performance of those functions.(2) Subject to section 64(5), no process, warrant or summons shall be issued or executed against the President during his term of office.
(3) The President is entitled to no payment of any rent or tax to the use of his official residence and to such emoluments, allowances and privileges, exempt from any tax thereon, as may be prescribed.
(4)The President of the Republic has also one very desired privilege .He can have mercy on any criminal and if the President is convinced of his innocence without the advice and on personal ground ,he/she may grace the criminal liberty and also a emptied police criminal file of that person.He may therefore only once during his term grace anyone of illegal acts and thus can free that person of any charges even of 1st degree of murder but he should prove the innocence of that individual.
(5)A former and Ex-President is also entitled to obtain a pension same as his latest salary in his office term. However during the revaluation of civil service salaries ,his pension may be increased up to the ratio of increase in the salary of actual president.One example ,if actual president's salary is increased by 30% ,therefore the pension of former presidents will also be increased by 30%.
Oaths
A person elected to the office of President or Vice-President or who assumes the functions of any of those offices shall, before assuming his functions, take and subscribe the appropriate oath as set out in the Third Schedule. An oath under this section shall be administered by the Chief Justice.The oath is administered in the public or in the State House as deemed to be right by the elected President .The oath is as followed
I,(name of elected president), do swear (or solemnly affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law and that I will devote myself to the service and well being of the people of Mauritius.
Chancellor
The president also serves as chancellor of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian OceanOrder of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean
The Most Distinguished Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean is the highest distinct order of merit in Mauritius. It was founded in 1992 to decorate people who have made a contribution to social progress in the nations of the Indian Ocean. It may be awarded to non-Mauritian...
, the highest order found in Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
. The president, on the recommendation of the prime minister, announces the list of honourees and personally decorates them. The order is received on Mauritius' Labour Day
Labour Day
Labour Day or Labor Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for...
.
There is a specific number of people who can be elevated to the different grades decided with the consent of the President only.The others are given by the National Assembly.
Recently one Chief executive officer of Canadian origin was elevated by incumbent President, Sir Anerood Jugnauth at his own pleasure without the advise of the Parliament.
Salary
The president is the highest paid civil servant.He or she receives the Highest salary in entire civil servant as well as receives an annual duty allowance .The Salary of the President is for his personal consumptions .He is also acquired with an Annual Budget which is also due to increase due to inflation. The annual budget for 2010 has been declared to be $ 3.5 Millions .The President usually uses the budget at his pleasure .| Period | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Duty Allowances | Office of the President Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Rs 1,406,148 ($47,000) |
Rs 117,179 ($ 3,900) |
Rs 250,800 | Rs 17 Millions |
| 2004 | Rs 1,506,000 ($50,200) |
Rs 125,250 ($4,200) |
Rs 250,800 | Rs 25 Millions |
| 2005 | Rs 1,554,000 ($51,800) |
Rs 129,500 ($ 4,300) |
Rs 300,000 | Rs 30 Millions |
| 2007 | Rs 2,520,000 ($84,000) |
Rs 210,000 ($7,000) |
Rs 300,000 | Rs 37 millions |
| 2008–2009 | Rs 2,580,000 ($ 86,000) |
Rs 215,000 ($ 7,167) |
Rs 450,000 | Rs 90 millions ($3 millions) |
| 2010 | Rs 2,977,000 ($ 99,234) |
Rs 229,000 ($ 7,689) |
Rs 500,000 | Rs 100 millions ($3.5 millions) |
Office of the President
The National Budget of the country have allocated the office of the President with Rs.30 millions for 6 months and this is to be increased as already to Rs 90.millions in 2010. It encounters all his workers and employed people in the service of the President.The actual number of people working for the president has been declared to be 99 in the Budget.Objectives
The objects of the Office of the President are to issue writ of elections, organise the protocol to put in place the government and Leader of the Opposition, the Rodrigues Regional Assembly and the Executive Council and for the opening of the National Assembly and the prorogation or dissolution thereof. It holds various activities to mark holidays, processes files for the proper functioning of institutions as provided for under the Constitution (notably, the Public Service Commission, the Electoral Supervisory Commission, the Commission on the Prerogative of Mercy and the Electoral Boundaries Commission), the presentation of credentials by Ambassadors and High Commissioners to Mauritius and the appointment of Principal Representatives of Mauritius abroad. The office is also responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the official residence comprising some 240 acre (0.9712464 km²) of grounds.Residence
The official residence of the President of Mauritius is Château of RéduitChâteau of Réduit
The State House or The Château of Réduit is the Official Residence of the President of Mauritius. It is found in Réduit, at the rear of the University of Mauritius and also at the end of Plaine Willhems district. It served as the residence for the former governors of Mauritius, but at present it is...
, Moka
Moka
Moka is a town in Mauritius. It's also the home to the University of Mauritius, the Mahatma Gandhi Institute and the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation....
. The president resides in the former residence of the Governors general. Official meetings are carried out in their office situated in the Old Mansion.
The incumbent president had declared a budget allocated to the renovation of the big palace.The renovation started in 2002 and ended in 2003 and president Karl Offmann
Karl Offmann
Karl Auguste Offmann is a Mauritian politician.After two of his successive predecessors had resigned over their refusal to sign a controversial anti-terrorism bill, the parliament elected Offmann to serve as President of Mauritius on 25 February 2002...
was provided with another living area due to construction disturbance.