Section 18: Registration of groups

18. Registration of groups (1) (a) Subject to paragraph (b), a group may, at least 10 days before the day appointed for the nomination of candidates for election to a local authority, other than the election of a District Council, be registered as a group for the purposes of that election with the Electoral Supervisory Commission on making application in such manner as may be prescribed. (b) Any 2 or more groups may be registered as an alliance for the purpose of subsection (2). (2) (a) Every candidate for election to a local authority, other than the election of a District Council, shall, at his nomination, declare, in such manner as may be prescribed— (i) where he belongs to a group not forming part of an alliance, that he belongs to that group; or (ii) where he belongs to a group forming part of an alliance, that he belongs to the alliance and the group forming part of the alliance. (b) Where a candidate fails or refuses to make a declaration under paragraph (a), he shall not be regarded as a member of any group. (c) Where a candidate makes a declaration— (i) under paragraph (a) (i), he shall, for the purpose of section 42 (2) and (2A), be regarded as a member of that group and the name of that group shall be stated on any ballot paper on which his name appears; or (ii) under paragraph (a) (ii), he shall, for the purpose of section 42 (2) and (2A), be regarded as a member of that group, and both the name of the group and that of the alliance shall be stated on any ballot paper on which his name appears. (3) There shall be such provision as may be prescribed requiring a person who makes an application or a declaration for the purpose of this section to furnish evidence with respect to the matters stated in the application or declaration and to their authority to make the application or declaration. [Issue 7] L18 – 18 Revised Laws of Mauritius (4) There shall be such provision as may be prescribed for the determination by a Judge in Chambers before the day appointed for the nomination of candidates at a local authority election, other than the election of a District Council, of any question incidental to any application or declaration made in relation to that local authority election, and the determination of the Judge shall not be subject to appeal. (5) (a) Subject to paragraph (aa), a group may submit to the Electoral Supervisory Commission a list of reserve candidates for the election of Municipal City Councillors, Municipal Town Councillors or Village Councillors, for the purpose of filling, under section 42, any vacancy which may occur after that election and before the next general election for the election of Councillors. (aa) In the case of an alliance— (i) each group forming part of the alliance may submit a reserve list; (ii) no reserve list shall be submitted by the alliance itself. (b) Subject to sections 15 and 17, a reserve list shall— (i) contain the names of not more than 6 persons; (ii) not include the name of a person— (A) whose name is included on any other reserve list submitted by a group for the election of Municipal City Councillors, Municipal Town Councillors or Village Councillors; (B) who is a candidate for the election of Municipal City Councillors, Municipal Town Councillors or Village Councillors; (iii) not comprise more than two-thirds of persons of the same sex; and (iv) indicate the order of precedence of each of the candidates appearing on the list, provided that not more than 2 consecutive candidates o e name is included on any other reserve list submitted by a group for the election of Municipal City Councillors, Municipal Town Councillors or Village Councillors; (B) who is a candidate for the election of Municipal City Councillors, Municipal Town Councillors or Village Councillors; (iii) not comprise more than two-thirds of persons of the same sex; and (iv) indicate the order of precedence of each of the candidates appearing on the list, provided that not more than 2 consecutive candidates on the list shall be of the same sex. [S. 18 amended by s. 7 of Act 3 of 2015 w.e.f. 9 April 2015.] Sub-Part C – Qualifications and Disqualifications as Elector