The Cabinet?s decision to ?circulate the Constitution (Amendment) Bill which purports to introduce a dose of proportional representation (PR) with 14 additional seats instead of four as is presently the case? should lead to a better representation - at least seven seats - for women in Parliament. However, the government will implement a dose of RP only if the opposition agrees to the process. It will not go further with the ?mini-reform? if there is no consensus among all parties.

The project of injecting a dose of RP into the present system has been discussed for a long time. Following this the government gave the impression that it had abandoned the idea since the opposition was against such a reform. Even within the government alliance, they could not reach a consensus on the issue.

Albie Sachs had submitted a reform proposal that at least 30 Members of Parliament be chosen from a party list drawn up in advance. While the secretary general of the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), Ivan Collendavelloo, was for this type of reform, Emmanuel Leung Shing from the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) didn?t agree. For him, the 30 MPs should rather be chosen among the candidates who had lost in their constituencies ? a sort of extended best loser system.

Commissioner Albie Sachs had warned that ?all of the additional members will be seen to have run for Parliament and lost? with this formula. As the PM may have been reluctant to embarrass his partner in the alliance by implementing Collendavelloo?s formula and ignoring Leung Shing?s, the reform has been left aside so far.

Despite Sachs? warnings, Cabinet finally decided last Sunday to propose Leung Shing?s formula ? although the proposal involves a certain number of subtle changes compared to the initial one. According to Paul Bérenger, this reform constitutes a ?minimal reform, which doesn?t involve any major change in the present system.? This is why they can allow themselves to propose it in expectation of a positive response.

At the end of the day, the only positive aspect of this reform seems to be the fact that it will allow seven more women to get seats in Parliament. The deputy prime minister?s speech at the celebration of Women?s Day seems to have been followed to the letter. He declared, ?If we rely on politics or a change in mentalities to change this situation, we won?t be going in the right direction. I?m convinced that there has to be positive discrimination towards women.?

However, nothing is certain yet. The government insists on a consensus before implementing the reform. And the opposition is already showing signs of dissatisfaction?