Africa-Press – Mauritius. The Nouveau Démocrate (ND) party held a press conference on Monday afternoon to officially launch its “Democracy and Meritocracy” Club, a platform led by young people and women from the movement. According to spokesperson Julien Permal, the initiative aims to amplify the voices of the new generation and promote values of fairness and social justice.
The party’s secretary-general, Zapheer Futloo, introduced the founding members of the club: Roubina Umarkhan as president, Alexandre Thisbé as secretary and communications officer, as well as Yash Mohundin and Yasin Noordaully, both serving as vice presidents among other roles. The club is intended to be a space for forward-thinking reflection and proposals to strengthen democracy within the party and across the nation.
The conference took place in September, commemorating the 125th birthday of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (SSR), the father of the nation. Several speakers paid tribute to his legacy and vision for a more united and just country. Alexandre Thisbé emphasized that leaders must learn to serve the people before leading them, highlighting that ND embodies this philosophy through its leader, Kushal Lobine, who was described as a humble man devoted to serving the population.
Roubina Umarkhan highlighted that the International Day of Democracy inspired the launch of a national essay contest themed “The people are the root, democracy is the tree.” This contest is open to all citizens and presented in Creole, French, and English, followed by quizzes, debates, and creative workshops involving art, poetry, slam, and music. The goal is to foster wide and creative civic participation.
The party also referenced the 2025 Global State of Democracy Report, which ranked Mauritius 52nd, up 23 places from the previous year, signaling that local democracy remains active and capable of improvement. The “Democracy and Meritocracy” Club will operate autonomously to raise citizens’ awareness of their civic rights and involve them in protecting and enhancing democracy.
Zapheer Futloo returned to the topic of a deep electoral reform currently under study with legal advisers and constitutional experts. After 57 years of independence, he stressed the urgent need to revise the system to make it fairer and more representative. The ND plans to present a series of proposals after wide national consultations with citizens to gather their expectations and enrich collective reflection. He also mentioned that the Best Loser System (BLS), which has historical relevance, is being reconsidered by ND’s leadership to inspire new, adapted solutions for current realities.
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