MAURITIUS PM in consultation with the opposition. Five members of the board are appointed by the Minister of Information Technology and another is the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Given these appointment procedures, these bodies are not independent from government. While the Chairperson of the IBA is not a politician but a lawyer he/she is always someone who is close to the government of the day. The consultation with the leader of the opposition is seen by many as a “fig leaf”, its main purpose being to make sure that the chairperson is not a controversial figure who could be attacked by the opposition. As soon as government changes, a new board is appointed. As the majority of board members in both authorities are civil servants, the question of political interference does not really arise. Both bodies are in the hands of government anyway. SCORES: Individual scores: 1,2,3,1,2,1,2,2,2,2 Average score: 1.8 3.2 The appointments procedure for members of the regulatory body is open and transparent and involves civil society. ANALYSIS: Civil society is not involved in the appointment of members of the IBA and ICTA boards. There is no tender process and decisions are made behind closed doors. SCORES: Individual scores: 1,1,2,1,1,1,1,1,1,1 Average score: 1.1 African Media Barometer - Mauritius 2008 19