Mauritius
Fourth Mauritian President this month takes office

afrol News, 26 February - 61-year-old Auguste Karl Offman is taking office as the fourth President of Mauritius in under one month. The otherwise politically stable Indian Ocean island nation experienced a constitutional crisis after two succeeding presidents refused to sign a controversial anti-terrorism bill.

The President of Mauritius normally only have ceremonial functions; real powers are in the hand of the parliamentary elected government, headed by Prime Minister Sir Anerood Jugnauth. When Jugnauth's government earlier in February pushed the 'Prevention of Terrorism Act' through Parliament - under heavy critics by the opposition and human rights groups - President Cassam Uteem, in office since July 1992, was expected to sign the bill to officially turn it into law. 

President Uteem however refused to sign the bill two times, leaving him no other option than to resign from office as the government insisted on the controversial bill. The office passed over to Vice President Angidi Chettiar, who also refused to sign the bill and resigned. 

On 19 February, Supreme Court Chief Justice Arianga Pillay was appointed Interim President. Pillay signed the 'Prevention of Terrorism Act' the same day, although the opposition and the local press protested the legality of this act. Pillay, the critics held, represented the executive, legislative and judiciary branches at the same time, something believed to be unconstitutional. The anti-terrorism bill however passed into law.

On Monday, the Mauritian Parliament elected Karl Auguste Offman President of the country. Offman is 61-years-old, an engineer by trade, but has also practised journalism, according to PANA. Offman was sworn in yesterday and addressed the nation saying he was conscious of the responsibilities of the office. His programme was to help the underprivileged and "promote national unity."

According to the Mauritian daily 'L'Express', Offman's inauguration ceremony sparked off protests by the opposition Labour Party. Party activists left Parliament and took to the streets, protesting this "masquerade of democracy". The party's spokesman Navin Ramgoolam said the appointment of Offman represented "the tyranny of the ruling majority." Ex-Presidents Cassam Uteem and Angidi Chettiar were hailed for their integrity, while it was said Offman had the "moral responsibility to turn down the offer" of the Presidency.

The anti-terrorism law
The 'Prevention of Terrorism Act', causing the controversy, is described by Amnesty International as too rigid and giving too many powers to the police to detain suspects. The human rights group claims it has "received many allegations of torture or ill-treatment of persons under police custody, including some resulting in deaths." Police should therefore not get wider powers. 

The human rights group stated it was" concerned that most of the provisions of the bill are too broad and fall short of international standards of fairness." The definition of offences described as "acts of terrorism" may be broadly interpreted to undermine the fundamental rights of the people. 

Prime Minister Jugnauth however holds the law will not break with the positive human rights record of Mauritius. "People have nothing to fear from the Prevention of Terrorism [Act], which will only be applied against real terrorists," he said, according to the French news agency AFP. 

Source: Based on press reports and afrol archives

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