Against communalism of the best-loser system - Lalit Mauritius

SUPREME COURT JUDGEMENT
Delivered by Justice D. Seeetulsingh
Record Number 71430
In the Supreme Court of Mauritius
In the matter of:
Parvez Carrimkhan
APPLICANT
v/s
Tin How Lew Chin & Ors.
RESPONDENTS
In the presence of:
The Electoral Commissioner
CO-RESPONDENT
Judgment
Applicant has questioned the correctness of the declaration made by Respondents Nos. 1 to 26 relating to
their community on their nomination paper for the general elections. In his application made under
paragraph 3 (2) of the First Schedule to the Constitution (the First Schedule) he prays the Court to resolve
the question as to the correctness of the declaration.
Applicant has averred that the wrongful declarations will upset the proper allocation of the best loser seats
after the proclamation of the results of the general elections. In evidence he has stated that the names of
the Respondents were indicative of the fact that they did not belong to the community stated in their
declaration.
The particulars given by Respondents are as follows :
No Name Party Community Constituency
1. Tin How LEW CHIN Nouvo Lizour Hindu 1
2. Ange Laval YVES Lalit Hindu 1
3. Dany Sylvie MARIE Lalit Hindu 2
4. Diya DHOLAH Lalit Muslim 4
5. Shardanand LILLDHARRY Lalit Sino-Mauritian 6
6. Alain AH VEE Lalit Hindu 7
7. Antoine Joyce HENRI-HELOISE Nouvo-Lizour Hindu 7
8. Louis Jerry Michael MINERVE Nouvo-Lizour Hindu 7
9. Christian BATOUR Lalit Muslim 9
10. Seeven KISTNASAMY Lalit Muslim 10
11. Pravin RAMSEWAK Lalit Muslim 11
12. Ashok SUBRON Lalit Muslim 13
13. Deoparsad Ram SEEGOBIN Lalit G. Population 14
14. Devianand NARAIN Lalit Muslim 15
15. Dooven CALEECHURN Lalit Sino-Mauritian 16
16. Rajni LALLAH Lalit G. Population 17
17. Marie Thérèse Jocelin MINERVE Nouvo Lizour Hindu 17
18. Francis JOLICOEUR Lalit Sino-Mauritian 18
19. Muniswamy ANENDEN Tamil Council G. Population 19
20. Devarajen KANAKSABEE Tamil Council G. Population 19
21. Logonaden MANIKUM Tamil Council G. Population 19
22. Ananda NULLAH Tamil Council G. Population 20
23. Yves Alain M. J. PITCHEN Nouvo-Lizour Hindu 20
24. Veerasamy POULLAY RENGHEN Tamil Council G. Population 20
25. Suraj RAMDIN Lalit G. Population 20
26. Carpen Soopramanien SUNGALEE Tamil Council G. Population 20
At the hearing Respondents Nos. 19, 20, 21, 22 and 24 who are candidates of the Tamil Council have
deponed to say that they were atheists (except for Respondent No. 19 who claimed to belong to the