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The Best Loser System (BLS) refers to the method used in Mauritius since the 1950s to guarantee ethnic representation across the entire electorate in the National Assembly without organising the representation wholly by ethnicity.[1]
The BLS was strongly advocated by Comité d'Action Musulman (CAM) leader Abdool Razack Mohamed after none of the 6 Muslim candidates, including himself, was elected at the 1948 general elections. Mohamed was supported by Labour Party's Seewoosagur Ramgoolam and IFB's Sookdeo Bissoondoyal during his lobby for the BLS.[2][3]
Depite having been devised for ensuring ethnoreligious representation in Parliament, the Best Loser System has at three occasions allowed the existence of a parliamentary opposition, namely in 1982, 1995 and 2024 when none of the elected members were from the opposition.
- ^ Reena Jane Dobson, Reena Jane Dobson. "'The Most Cosmopolitan Island under the Sun'? Negotiating Ethnicity and Nationhood in Everyday Mauritius" (PDF). Centre for Cultural Research University of Western Sydney. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
- ^ Bissoondoyal, Surendra. "To abolish or not to abolish? 10-Feb-2012". Mauritius Times. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
- ^ Figaro, El. "Réforme électorale: «grat lédo maler» ?". L'Express. Retrieved 10 August 2024.