Historical Context and Current Challenges Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Diversity and social peace 60. Religious and ethnic diversity, cultural interaction, and community cohabitation are areas where communal tension is manifest. The building of a national identity based on notions of patriotism seems to have been overwhelmed by an overemphasis on sectarianism, which is heightened during elections. The nation’s component social groups remain in religious and sociocultural divides. Electoral reform 61. The electoral system in Mauritius has raised concerns about the propensity to promote democratic participation and inclusion in the context of the diversity and complexity of the ethno-religious and social landscape. Past elections have shown a tendency towards a large imbalance or disparity between the share of votes cast and the number of seats secured by political parties in the National Assembly, leading to disproportionality. Historical Context and Current Challenges participation in political and governmental affairs, as well as public employment, is still very low, and domestic violence is rife. 64. Mauritius faces challenges in the economic environment, including: • • • • An overreliance upon imported food and energy – a problem made worse by the recent levels of inflation in the food and energy sectors of world markets. An overconcentration of much of the economy – that is, the descendants of French settlers still control large sections of the economy despite a recent government initiative to ‘democratise the economy’. The absence of true competition in many business sectors – although the government has recently created the Competition Commission to better police anticompetitive practices. The absence of the Creole community from the economic (and political) elite of Mauritius. Financing of political parties 62. The electoral law of Mauritius, while regulating the funds that candidates can expend, does not have verification mechanisms to check excesses in the funds used by political parties. Opacity in regard to access to funds and sources of funding for election campaigns increases perceptions of political corruption. It is not part of common practice within political parties in Mauritius to hold detailed financial reports on funds, and very few party members seem to be informed as regards their party’s financial status. Concerns have also been raised over the use of money and other favours in politics. There is an ongoing debate, both in Parliament and in the media, on the reform of the electoral system and on the introduction of public funding of political parties. Promotion of the rights of women 63. 62 The Mauritian constitution prohibits any form of discrimination based on gender. Having subscribed to the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Mauritius has taken further action to promote and protect the rights of women by passing a Sexual Discrimination Act (2002), and by setting up a Ministry of Women’s Rights, Child Development and Family Welfare (MWRCDFW). Despite these efforts, women’s 63