Cabinet of Mauritius

The Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Mauritius helps the President make important decisions for the country. It is led by the Prime Minister and includes 23 ministers and the Attorney General, who is also part of the cabinet. The constitution says the President must choose a cabinet led by the Prime Minister after each election.

Each cabinet minister must be a member of parliament, except for the Attorney General. The Attorney General is chosen by the President based on the Prime Minister’s advice.

Before starting their job, every cabinet minister takes an oath of loyalty to the President at The State House. This ceremony happens in front of important leaders. Once they take the oath and sign the appointment letter, they officially become ministers.

The most recent ceremony was on 22 November 2024. At that time, the President chose a new cabinet made up of the Prime Minister and 24 ministers, including the Attorney General.

History

According to the Constitution of Mauritius, there is a group called the Cabinet. This group includes the Prime Minister and other leaders who help guide the country. Their job is to give advice to the President about important decisions.

The President chooses the Prime Minister and other leaders based on suggestions from the Prime Minister. There can be up to 24 leaders besides the Prime Minister, and they all work together to help run Mauritius.

Tenure of office of Ministers

If the Assembly votes that it does not trust the Government and the Prime Minister does not step down in three days, the President can remove the Prime Minister. This can also happen after a general election if the President thinks the Prime Minister will not have enough support from Assembly members.

A Minister’s job ends if they stop being a member of the Assembly, unless Parliament was dissolved. The President can also remove a Minister if the Prime Minister advises it, especially if the Prime Minister steps down or is removed after a no-confidence vote. If a Minister cannot do their job because of Assembly rules, they cannot act in their role during that time.

Cabinet functions

If the Prime Minister of Mauritius is away, sick, or unable to do their job, the President can choose the Deputy Prime Minister or another minister to temporarily take over. This minister will help until the President says they can stop.

Sometimes, if the President thinks they cannot get advice from the Prime Minister because the Prime Minister is away, sick, or unable to give advice, the President can make decisions without that advice.

Junior Ministers

The President can pick Junior Ministers from the Assembly to help the main ministers. There can be up to 10 Junior Ministers. If the Assembly is not meeting, someone who was a member before can still be chosen. A Junior Minister’s job ends if the President decides, or if the Prime Minister leaves office. If a Junior Minister cannot attend the Assembly, they cannot do their duties during that time.

Swearing allegiance

Each minister, whether part of the main cabinet or a junior minister, must take an oath to show loyalty to the President. This is required by section 53(9) of the constitution.

The oath says, "I, (name of the Minister), promise to be faithful and loyal to Mauritius according to the law. As a minister, I promise to give my best advice to the President for the good of Mauritius, and I will keep all discussions and decisions within the cabinet private unless allowed to share them."

Allowances and line of succession

The cabinet of Mauritius has 25 members and is led by the Prime Minister. There are two important jobs: the Deputy Prime Minister and the Vice Prime Minister. Both are ministers. If the Prime Minister cannot serve, the Deputy Prime Minister takes over first. The Vice Prime Minister has similar duties but gets fewer benefits.

Incumbent cabinet

After the 2024 general election, a new group of leaders, called the cabinet, began their work on 22 November 2024. They met with President Prithvirajsing Roopun, who approved them based on the prime minister's suggestion. This cabinet has leaders from different parties: 14 from the Parti Travailliste, 8 from the MMM, and one each from the Nouveaux Démocrates (ND) and [Rezistans ek Alternativ] (ReA). The special legal advisor, called the Attorney General, Gavin Glover, joined them later, starting on 29 November.