- Mauritius state-directed annulment of the June vote enabled a disputed September election
- September outcome lacks legal standing under Mauritius Companies Act and AFRINIC bylaws
Government annulment enabled disputed September vote
AFRINIC, Africa’s Regional Internet Registry, held a board election in June 2025 under court supervision. Members widely viewed this vote as free and fair, with proxy ballots accepted according to AFRINIC’s bylaws. Despite the court’s oversight, Mauritius’s government instructed the court-appointed receiver to annul the June results, citing unspecified doubts but offering no judicial finding of fraud. Following this annulment, a second election was organised in September under the receiver’s direction. Public records show this September poll proceeded without clear legal authority, as the Companies Act provides no basis for a government-mandated rerun after a valid election. The process allowed the state to replace a member-driven outcome with one effectively controlled by a court appointee, undermining the independence required for a non-profit company.
Also read: AFRINIC election results face legitimacy challenge over governance breaches
Also read: AFRINIC election: Voter fraud uncovered as ECom member threatens to resign
September vote results lack legal legitimacy
The September election results cannot be recognised as legitimate because they stem from an unlawful annulment of the June election. Accepting the September outcome would normalise political interference in a registry that must operate under member control. Such precedent threatens Africa’s bottom-up internet governance and invites future state capture. Support from external actors, including signals from ICANN leadership through new ICP-2 related compliance documents, risks validating a process that contradicts public calls for transparency and democracy. To protect African sovereignty and restore the rule of law, stakeholders insist that the June election results be recognised and that Mauritius cease government-directed interventions in AFRINIC’s governance.
