Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate

The Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate (PMSD) (English: Mauritian Social Democratic Party) is a political party in Mauritius. It is conservative and francophilic. It is the fourth biggest political party in the National Assembly after the Mauritian Labour Party, Mauritian Militant Movement and the Militant Socialist Movement. It has 2 MPs directly elected with 2 best losers, from the 2010 general elections.

Founded in 1956 by Jules Koenig, the Mauritian Social Democratic Party is one of the oldest parties in the country. It was known as the Mauritian Union from 1946 to 1956. After the post-colonial era, the PMSD was led by Sir Gaetan Duval from 1967 to 1995. The PMSD is known as the only political party which did not agree to independence for Mauritius. It started out with a large following in the minority communities such as Christians and Muslims, but with the arrival of the MMM in the 1970s, it faded. It won 23 seats in the 1967 general elections; at the 1976 elections, it retained only 7 (plus an eighth indirectly elected member). In 2000 the party formed part of the historical MSM/MMM alliance as a minority party. It joined the Labour Party-led Social Alliance, which included other allies. In 2009, it merged with the Xavier Duval Mauritian Party and retained its name; however, Xavier Luc Duval became leader and Maurice Allet became president. The PMSD is now focused with the Mauritian Creole community and has long been a loyal ally of the Mauritian Labour Party. In the elections of 2014, however, it joined the Alliance Lepep, a coalition comprising the Militant Socialist Movement, the Muvman Liberater, and itself. It won eleven seats.