Mauritius has a presidential democracy
modelled on the British parliamentary system which guarantees the separation
of the legislative, executive and judicial powers. The President is the Head
of State, but this is more of a ceremonial role since although executive
authority is vested in him/her, they act on the advice of the Cabinet of the
Government of the Republic of Mauritius. The Prime Minister is the Head of
the Government and wields considerable powers through the constitutional
right to advise the President to appoint or remove Ministers and to assign
responsibilities to Ministers. The sixty-two members of Parliament are
elected every five years by universal adult suffrage. Democracy is well
entrenched in Mauritius and all major political parties are represented in
Parliament.
Mauritius is a member of the International Court of Justice, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes and the 1958 New York Convention on Foreign Arbitration Awards.
The Office of the President was established under the Constitution. The President is the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Republic of Mauritius.