The government faces pressure to accelerate plans for electoral reform following the decision by the UK Privy Council, which acts as a supreme court for Mauritius, to consider an appeal against the continuing use of the controversial Best Loser System (BLS) in general elections. Under BLS, up to eight of the seats in the National Assembly are awarded to the best-performing losers from the main parties in constituencies where ethnic or religious communities are under-represented. Candidates are required to declare their religious or ethnic affiliation before standing for election. In the 2010 general election 104 candidates were barred from standing because they refused to do this. By enshrining ethnicity in the voting system BLS is highly controversial, but it has support among the non-Hindu minority.

The case before the Privy Council has been brought by a minor political party, Rezistans ek Alternativ, which has campaigned against BLS for many years. It will have to persuade the Privy Council to reject the decisions of all domestic courts that the system is enshrined in the constitution. The government will not welcome international attention being brought to this practice. The prime minister, Navin Ramgoolam, and the leader of the opposition, Paul Bérenger, both agree on the need for electoral reform. They would like to add a degree of proportionality to the existing first-past-the-post system and to phase out BLS. However, they have both appeared hesitant to take action for fear of upsetting minorities in their own parties. Despite agreeing on the need for change, party leaders appear unable to generate a political consensus to see it through.