Dear Compatriot,
Electoral Reform: Mauritian Abroad Voting Rights
There are thousands of Mauritians who work and study overseas. These people are economic and knowledge-hungry migrants. They are Mauritians by birth and Mauritians at heart. Our bodies may be overseas but our hearts are in
Mauritius regardless of how long one stays overseas. The umbilical cord interred in
Mauritius stretches beyond boundaries and is never excised even among those who have renounced their Mauritian citizenship.
However, there are thousands who have preserved and cherish their Mauritian citizenship; and continue to travel using their Mauritian passports albeit dual citizenship. These are the people who deserve recognition and should be allowed to vote in general election in
Mauritius. The present situation is very harmful for the country. Mauritians abroad are not entitled to vote. Just because one is out of the country, one is denied the basic democratic right. The right to vote is taken away and this is a major infringement of one’s human and civic rights.
Hundreds of countries recognise and value their citizens overseas. Overseas workers are an industry for some countries like the
Philippines.
Mauritius is too happy to drop its citizens once they step out of the country. This policy has smacks of archaic communism. It is not surprising that many laureates do not return because they do not feel wanted by their motherland during their studies and the civic links are not reinforced. This can no longer be the policy of a modern
Mauritius seeking to compete in the wider world with massive shortage of skills. The current policy is suicidal from an economic and developmental perspective. It just does not make sense.
Mauritius wants to progress while disowning its citizens.
At the moment, only few are being lured back to
Mauritius to share their expertise and given employment. It should not be like this. There must be an open mass advertising campaign and search for most Mauritians to return permanently. The shortage of skills should be the dictating factor and Mauritians should be invited back to our motherland to contribute, to share and to push the frontiers of progress and development. We should take a leaf out of
India’s book encouraging its businessmen, scientists and technologists abroad to return and lead their industries to generate wealth and employment in and out of
India. I recall in the seventies, countries like
Singapore was advertising in
UK, ‘If you are a Singaporean, your country needs you’. I also know many of them responded and look where
Singapore is today.
Countries that value their citizens do progress and change for the better. Countries, who deny their citizens their rights, stagnate. We do not want our country to stagnate in any shape or form. We want our right to vote and play an important part in the development of our motherland. This is proven by the Mauritian Diaspora and hundreds of Mauritian abroad who contribute their skills, knowledge and expertise through the national press, the independent radio and short visits to
Mauritius. Individual Mauritians have slaved day and night working in hospitals in the
UK and have sent money for years to help relatives and started small businesses to create jobs for our brothers and sisters in
Mauritius. There are many Mauritians around the world who have organised charities and collect money for our needy and vulnerable brothers and sisters in
Mauritius. There is a lot of constructive work that has gone on for years and is still going on.
It is about time that these people are recognised and given the right to vote and their citizenship restored. Some people say once one is out of
Mauritius, it is impossible to keep up with current happenings. This is old hat. Globalisation has shrunk the world and developments in technology with the advent of the microchip and email service has made the world one big country with instant written, visual and audio communication. People run businesses from overseas. The cybercity underlines this point with so many outsourcing companies anchoring there to make the most of lower wages.
When Mauritians are overseas, their patriotic feelings are heightened and the true love for our country surfaces. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. This compels us not only to keep in touch but to know what is happening in our country, sometimes more than those still in
Mauritius. We are Mauritians and we want to be recognised as Mauritians with birthright to vote in a democratic country. We are the legitimate children of
Mauritius. We want our motherland not only to recognise us but to embrace us as equals among her siblings. Driving the point closer home, I am an employer in
Mauritius. I have invested in a social enterprise to create jobs for our local people and to have positive impact on our village. I pay my taxes and contribute to the economy. I am in touch with
Mauritius and its news almost on a daily basis. I have a Mauritian passport and my children do so too. I am in
Mauritius once or sometimes twice per year doing business. Yet, I am not allowed a vote in the general election. This cannot be right. What do I have to do to regain my birthright?
As a Mauritian living abroad, I urge you to distribute this letter to all your contacts and urge them to write to me, to their contacts in Mauritius, to the Prime Minister of Mauritius, to the Leader of Opposition and to Rama Sithanen to bring about changes in the electoral system which will enable us to vote and support development in Mauritius. We do not only want to feel Mauritian but be a Mauritian with civic rights and continue to belong to our country of origin. This is the time for Mauritians abroad to act as electoral reform does come about often. Show your wishes and aspirations now and this will not only affect you but it will concern our children and future generations of people who have a relative of Mauritian origin. I thank you for your help.
Yours sincerely
