The Speaker of the National Assembly
Hon. Sooroojdev PHOKEER, GCSK, GOSK
Elected Speaker as from 21 November 2019

The Speakership is the most important office in the House. The first business of the House is to elect a Speaker when the Assembly first meets, after a general election. The Constitution provides that the Speaker may or may not be an elected Member of the House. The Government and the Opposition normally agree on a candidate.

The main function of the Speaker is to ensure that the Standing Orders and Rules of the National Assembly are complied with. The Speaker interprets and enforces the Standing Orders and for the purpose of interpretation, recourse is often had to Erskine May’s Parliamentary Practice, responds to Members’ points of order and give rulings when necessary. His ruling cannot be challenged, except on a substantive motion to that effect, and any criticism of his actions outside Parliament may amount to contempt of the National Assembly.

Speaker

Title Name Telephone No Fax No E-mail Address
Speaker of the National Assembly Honourable PHOKEER Sooroojdev, GCSK​, GOSK + 230 201 2306 + 230 201 3232 sphokeer@govmu.org
Adviser to Speaker DOWLUTTA Ram Ranjit (Mr)​ + 230 201 1370
Adviser on Information Matters BHAGMAL-CADERVALOO Sanjana (Mrs) + 230 211 4584
​Office Management Executive LENETTE Louis Hedley (Mr)​ + 230 201 1940
Confidential Secretary JEETUN Lakranee (Mrs)​ + 230 201 2306,+ 230 201 1208,+ 230 201 1940 ljeetun@govmu.org
Management Support Officer MUNGROO Girisha (Ms) 201 1208
Head Office Auxiliary BEEDASSY Kuldeep (Mr) + 230 201 2470

Deputy Speaker

Title Name Telephone No Fax No E-mail Address
Deputy Speaker Honourable NAZURALLY Mohammud Zahid​​ + 230 201 3474 monazurally@govmu.org
​Confidential Secretary COOPOOSAMY Tirruben Modli (Mr)​ + 230 201 3474

Chairperson, Public Accounts Committee

Title Name Telephone No Fax No E-mail Address
Chairperson, Public Accounts Committee Honourable Muhammad Reza Cassam Uteem​​​ muteem@govmu.org
​Confidential Secretary DOOKHY Anita (Mrs)

Deputy Chairperson of Committees

Title Name Telephone No Fax No E-mail Address
Deputy Chairperson of Committees Honourable NUCKCHEDDY Sanjit Kumar​ snuckcheddy@govmu.org

Roles of Speaker

The Speakership is the most important office in the House.

 

The first business of the House is to elect a Speaker when the Assembly first meets, after a general election.

 

The Constitution provides that the Speaker may or may not be an elected Member ​of the House. The Government and the Opposition normally agree on a candidate.

 

However, if more than one candidate is proposed and seconded, the Assembly proceeds to elect the Speaker by secret ballot. The Speaker holds office for the duration of the life of Parliament, unless he is removed earlier on by the Assembly.

 

The Speaker is the principal office holder of the House and its spokesperson in relation to the other constituent part of Parliament – the President of the Republic. The Speaker symbolizes the authority of Parliament. The main function of the Speaker is to ensure that the Standing Orders and Rules of the National Assembly are complied with. The Speaker interprets and enforces the Standing Orders and for the purpose of interpretation, recourse is often had to Erskine May’s Parliamentary Practice, responds to Members’ points of order and give rulings when necessary. His ruling cannot be challenged, except on a substantive motion to that effect, and any criticism of his actions outside Parliament may amount to contempt of the National Assembly.

 

The Speaker decides on the admissibility of Questions to Ministers and on the choice of speakers during the debates and in so doing, he seeks to allocate the call evenly between the government and non-government Members.

 

The Speaker must maintain order during debate, which becomes sometimes unruly. The Speaker can call Members to order for the use of ‘unparliamentary language’, for misbehaviour, for constant interruptions, for irrelevance in debates and for engaging in private conversations. The Speaker may order a Member, whose conduct is grossly disorderly, to withdraw immediately from the House during the remainder of the day’s sitting. If a Member persistently flouts the authority of the Chair or wilfully obstructs the business of the House, by abusing the Rules of the Assembly, the Speaker is empowered to ‘name’ the Member.

 

One of the most important qualities of a Speaker is impartiality. He mu​st be above party politics. Once elected to the Chair, he owes his loyalty to the dignity of Parliament.

 

The Speaker has ultimate responsibility, together with the Office of the Clerk, for the administration of Parliament and the operation of the Parliament House. Furthermore, the parliamentary precincts of the National Assembly are under the control and management of the Office of the Speaker.

List of Former Speakers

Name Took Office Left Office
Sir Robert STANLEY – The First Speaker​ 26.02.1957 21.03.1960
Sir Harilal VAGHJEE – The First Mauritian Speaker​ 22.03.1960 25.05.1979
Sir Ramesh JEEWOOLALL 05.06.1979 17.06.1982
Mr Alan GANOO 18.06.1982 05.09.1983
Mr Ajay DABY 06.09.1983 14.09.1987
Mr Ajay DABY 15.09.1987 04.12.1990
Mr Iswardeo SEETARAM 04.12.1990 11.01.1996
Mr Alan GANOO 12.01.1996 17.01.1996
Sir Ramesh JEEWOOLALL 23.01.1996 02.10.2000
Mr Premnath RAMNAH, GCSK 03.10.2000 27.04.2005
Mr Rajkeswur PURRYAG, GCSK, GOSK 12.07.2005 17.05.2010
Mr Rajkeswur PURRYAG, GCSK, GOSK 18.05.2010 23.07.2012
Mr Abdool Razack PEEROO, SC, G​OSK 24.07.2012 08.11.2014
Mrs Santi Bai HANOOMANJEE, GCSK 22.12.2014 21.11.2019

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Courtesy call on Honourable Sooroojdev Phokeer, GCSK, GOSK, Speaker of the National Assembly by His Excellency Mr. İshak Ebrar Çubukçu, Ambassador-designate of the Republic of Türkiye to the Republic of Mauritius on Monday, 26 June 2023. The Ambassador was accompanied by Mr. Osman SERT, Commercial Counsellor of the Embassy and Mr. Ashwani SOOD, Honorary Consul of Republic of Türkiye.

Courtesy call Courtesy call on Honourable Sooroojdev Phokeer, GCSK, GOSK, Speaker of the National Assembly by His Excellency Mr. İshak Ebrar Çubukçu, Ambassador-designate of the …

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Courtesy call effected on Honourable Sooroojdev Phokeer, GCSK, GOSK, Speaker of the National Assembly by His Excellency Mr Hassan Alibakhshi, Ambassador of Iran to Mauritius – 22 June 2023

Courtesy call Courtesy call effected on Honourable Sooroojdev Phokeer, GCSK, GOSK, Speaker of the National Assembly by His Excellency Mr Hassan Alibakhshi, Ambassador of Iran …

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Courtesy call by Hon. (Mrs) Gerhardine Nono Katjingisiua, MP and Hon. Mathias Mbundu, MP from Namibia – 15 May 2023

Courtesy call – Courtesy Call by Hon. (Mrs) Gerhardine Nono Katjingisiua, MP and Hon. Mathias Mbundu, MP from Namibia, on Honourable Sooroojdev Phokeer, GCSK, GOSK, …

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Meeting of AP-COI, chaired by Mr Speaker, on 09 November 2022 in Antananarivo, Madagascar

Meeting of AP-COI, chaired by Mr Speaker, on 09 November 2022 in Antananarivo, Madagascar Le Speaker de l’Assemblée nationale a présidé, ce mercredi le 09 …

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Mr Speaker at the High-Level Parliamentary Conference in Doha, in the State of Qatar

High Level Parliamentary Conference 2022 in Qatar, Theme: Understanding the terrorist threat in Africa Mr Speaker at the High-Level Parliamentary Conference in Doha, in the …

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Mr Speaker at the 144th IPU Assembly in Nusa Dua, Indonesia

Mr Speaker at the 144th IPU Assembly in Nusa Dua, Indonesia – Theme : Getting to Zero: Mobilising parliaments to act on climate change Mr …

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