Not to be confused with Vice-Prime Minister of Mauritius.
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The deputy prime minister of Mauritius (French: Premier ministre adjoint) is a senior member of the Cabinet of Mauritius. The deputy prime minister is the first in line to succeed the prime minister on a temporary basis in case the latter is out of the country, sick, resigns or dies suddenly. The office has existed before on an informal basis until its formal establishment under an amendment to the constitution in 1982.[2] Harish Boodhoo became the first person to hold the office in July 1982.

The incumbent holder of the office is Paul Bérenger, who has held the office twice before, and was appointed by the president on 22 November 2024 following the general election held in 2024.[3]

Constitutional position and duties

Under the Constitution of Mauritius, it provides for the establishment of the offices of prime minister and deputy prime minister, who are to be appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister.[4]

The deputy prime minister is the first person to hold the office of prime minister and head of government in case the latter is absent from Mauritius or is by reason of illness or of section 60(5) unable to perform the functions conferred on him by the Constitution. The president, by directions in writing, authorize the deputy prime minister or, in his absence, some other minister to perform those functions and that minister may perform those functions (acting prime minister) until his authority is revoked by the president.[4] Before the establishment of the office in 1982, the constitution dictated that any minister appointed by the Govenor-General is authorised to exercise the functions of the office of prime minister until the Governor-General revokes such authority.[5]

Under convention, the deputy prime minister is always chosen from the second-most senior member of the government, typically the leader of second largest party under a coalition government. Although in the late 1980s, it became common for the prime minister to appoint honorary deputy prime ministers in addition to the existing holder of the constitutional deputy prime minister and holders of the office were usually senior members of the cabinet or another junior member party of the coalition government.

Title

Constitutionally, the office is referred to as Deputy Prime Minister under the 1982 amendment that established the office.[2] No formal legislation acknowledges or recognises an official French-translation for the office since English is the official language of law in Mauritius.

However, it was common to refer to the deputy prime minister in French-speaking media as vice-Premiére ministre and in English-speaking media as Vice Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister until the establishment of the separate office of Vice-Prime Minister in 2008. Hence, the deputy prime minister is referred nowadays in French-speaking media as Premiére ministre adjoint or simply referring to its English title whilst maintaining the French translation used before for the office of deputy prime minister instead to the Vice-Prime Minister.

List of deputy prime ministers

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Tenure Concurrent portfolio(s) Party Prime
Minister
Took office Left office
1 Harish Boodhoo[6][7]
(born 1946) 		2 July
1982 		21 August
1983
  • Information and Cooperatives
 		PSM A. Jugnauth
2
Gaetan Duval.jpg
 Sir Gaëtan Duval[8][9]
(1930–1996) 		21 August
1983 		4 September
1987
PMSD
4 September
1987 		12 August
1988
  • Employment and Tourism
3 Sir Satcam Boolell[10][11]
(1920–2006) 		15 August
1988 		18 August
1990 		PTr
4 Prem Nababsing[12][13][14]
(1940–2017) 		25 September
1990 		27 September
1991
  • Health
 		MMM
27 September
1991 		27 December
1995
  • Health (1990–1993)
  • Economic Planning and Development (1993–1995)
  • Internal and External Communications (1994–1995)
  • Information (1994–1995)
5 Paul Bérenger[15][16]
(born 1945) 		30 December
1995 		20 June
1997[17] 		MMM N. Ramgoolam
6 Kailash Purryag
(born 1947) 		16 November
1997 		17 September
2000 		PTr
(5) Paul Bérenger[18]
(born 1945) 		17 September
2000 		30 September
2003 		MMM A. Jugnauth
7 Pravind Jugnauth[19]
(born 1961) 		30 September
2003 		7 July
2005
MSM Bérenger
8 Rashid Beebeejaun[20]
(born 1934) 		7 July
2005 		10 May
2010
  • Public Infrastructure, Land Transport and Shipping (2005–2008)
  • Renewable Energy and Public Utilities (2008–2010)
 		PTr N. Ramgoolam
10 May
2010[21] 		17 December
2014
  • Energy and Public Utilities
9 Xavier-Luc Duval[22]
(born 1958) 		17 December
2014 		19 December
2016 		PMSD A. Jugnauth
10 Ivan Collendavelloo[22]
(born 1950) 		20 December
2016 		12 November
2019
  • Energy and Public Utilities
  • Tourism (until 24 January 2017)
 		ML
P. Jugnauth
12 November
2019[23] 		25 June
2020
  • Energy and Public Utilities
11 Louis Steven Obeegadoo[22]
(born 1961) 		25 June
2020 		22 November
2024
  • Housing and Land Use Planning (from 2019)
  • Tourism
 		PM
(5) Paul Bérenger[3]
(born 1945) 		22 November
2024 		Incumbent
  • Minister without portfolio
 		MMM N. Ramgoolam

See also


References

  1. ^ "Rapport du Pay Research Bureau – Les gros salaires avoisineront Rs 200 000" (in French). Le Défi Media Group. Archived from the original on 21 December 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Constitution of the Republic of Mauritius (Amendment) Act (No. 2 of 1982): July 7, 1982". Oxford Constitutional Law. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Le nouveau cabinet ministériel en chiffres". defimedia.info (in French). Defimedia. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  4. ^ a b "The Constitution" (PDF). Government of Mauritius. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  5. ^ Revised Laws of Mauritius, 1981. Vol. 1. Attorney-General's Office. 1981. p. 30.
  6. ^ "Après le triomphe électorale de la gauche M. Aneerood Jugnauth est nommé premier ministre". lemonde.fr (in French). Le Monde. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  7. ^ "First Constitutional Changes Introduced by the New Government". Le Mauricien. 7 July 1982. Retrieved 16 February 2025 – via Sub-Saharan Africa Report, No. 2676, 17 August 1982, pp. 63-64.
  8. ^ "Jugnauth Announces New Government 4 Sep". AFP. 4 September 1987. Retrieved 16 February 2025 – via FBIS Daily Report Sub-Saharan Africa, 8 September 1987, p. C1.
  9. ^ "Deputy Prime Minister Resigns Over Policies". Johannesburg International Service. 12 August 1988. Retrieved 16 February 2025 – via FBIS Daily Report Sub-Saharan Africa, 18 August 1988, p. 6.
  10. ^ "Prime Minister Reshuffles Cabinet 15 Aug". Agence-France Presse. 15 August 1988. Retrieved 16 February 2025 – via FBIS Daily Report Sub-Saharan Africa, 16 August 1988, p. 6.
  11. ^ Macgregor, J. (1989). "Africa Monitor: September–December 1988". Africa Insight. 19 (1): 55.
  12. ^ Hunter, B., ed. (1995). The Statesman's Year-Book 1995-96. London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 939.
  13. ^ "Prime Minister Names New Government 27 Sep". AFP. 28 September 1991. Retrieved 16 February 2025 – via FBIS Daily Report Sub-Saharan Africa, 30 September 1991, pp. 27-28.
  14. ^ "New Cabinet Members of Jugnauth Government". AFP. 25 September 1990. Retrieved 16 February 2025 – via FBIS Daily Report Sub-Saharan Africa, 28 September 1990, p. 33.
  15. ^ "Prime Minister Forms New Government". Radio France. 30 December 1995. Retrieved 16 February 2025 – via FBIS Daily Report Sub-Saharan Africa, 4 January 1994, p. 9.
  16. ^ Hunter, B., ed. (1996). The Statesman's Year-Book 1996-97. London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 887–888.
  17. ^ "Il y a 20 ans : le 21 juin 1997 -Révocation du vice Premier ministre Paul Bérenger". lexpress.mu (in French). L'Express. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  18. ^ "New government sworn in". thenewhumanitarian.org. The New Humanitarian. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  19. ^ "Dans la presse du… 1er Octobre 2003: Paul Bérenger devient Premier ministre". lexpress.mu (in French). L'Express. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  20. ^ "Elected members of Legislative Election 2010". mauritiusassembly.govmu.org. Mauritius National Assembly. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  21. ^ "Prestation de serment: Treize nouveaux ministres font leur entrée au gouvernement". lexpress.mu (in French). L'Express. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  22. ^ a b c "List of Honourable Members - National Assembly Elections 2019". mauritiusassembly.govmu.org. Mauritius National Assembly. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  23. ^ "Prestation de serment: voici les nouveaux ministres". lexpress.mu (in French). L'Express. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deputy_Prime_Minister_of_Mauritius
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