How a priest became president of the Seychelles



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On his sixth attempt, Wavel Ramkalawan, an Anglican clergyman, became the president of Seychelles and ended decades in opposition, but as Tim Ecott reports from the Indian Ocean archipelago, he now has to unite the country.

“After 43 years we have recovered democracy. The road has been long and now we will reap its rewards ”.

In President Wavel Ramkalawan’s acceptance speech, President Wavel Ramkalawan addressed an audience of invited dignitaries gathered on the manicured grounds of State House, there was only the slightest hint of triumphalism.

His election marks a sea change for the islands, where the presidency has been dominated by one party since 1977.

People celebrating
Opposition supporters came out to celebrate the victory over the weekend

In front of the large Victorian colonial mansion and accompanied by a military honor guard, the president of the Supreme Court of Justice was sworn in on Monday.

The new president is an ordained Anglican minister, and unsurprisingly his overall message was one of peace, tolerance and a call for all Seychelles to work together for national unity and overcome the divisions of so many years of political wrangling.

Thanking outgoing President Danny Faure for keeping the political dialogue open over the past years, Mr. Ramkalawan emphasized the need for tolerance among the Seychelles people and called for what he called a return to civility, to a society where everyone Say good morning and where racial and social differences are put aside.

“Seychelles”, said the new president, “should be an example of tolerance for everyone. We are 115 small islands in the Indian Ocean, but we are not island.

“We will maintain friendly relations with all nations and appreciate the help and assistance of our international allies, whoever they are.”

Behind the Christian sentiments expressed by the new president there is also political steel.

‘Pulpit politician’

This was his sixth attempt at the presidency, a journey that began when he first ran for office in 1998.

He had entered politics several years earlier, and the government criticized him for making what they viewed as political statements from the pulpit during the era of one-party state.

He had come close to winning the presidency several times, and in 2015 he lost to James Michel by just 193 votes in a second round of voting.

Referring to years in the opposition and his five previous defeats in the presidential elections, Mr. Ramkalawan quoted Nelson Mandela: “A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.”

Ballot
Wavel Ramkalawan defeated Danny Faure by 54.9% to 43.5%

Despite the positive messages in his keynote address, there is no question of divisions within Seychellois society.

It has been precisely 43 years since the islands were subjected to a violent coup by Albert René, who overthrew the democratically elected government of James Mancham, the man who had led the islands to independence from the United Kingdom in 1976.

Amid his calls for peace and harmony, President Ramkalawan paid tribute to Gerard Hoarau, an opponent of René who was assassinated in London in 1985, and whose killers have never been identified.

Hoarau was not the only person to die or disappear during the one-party era that lasted from 1977 to 1991.

Many of the crimes committed during that period were publicly exposed during the recent Truth and Reconciliation hearings in Seychelles.

There is no doubt that those revelations hurt Faure and his Seychelles United party’s chances in these elections.

United Seychelles is the current name of the former Seychelles Popular Progressive Front, which was in power when René imprisoned and mercilessly persecuted his political opponents.

Turtle in front of an island.
In normal times, the beautiful islands attract thousands of tourists.

Despite all its intricate political history in the decades since independence, the Seychelles’ population of 97,000 now faces great challenges.

The economy is highly dependent on tourism, with around 350,000 annual visitors representing 65% of GDP.

Covid-19 has reduced tourist arrivals to a small trickle and the economy has already shrunk by around 14%.

Furthermore, local non-governmental organizations estimate that approximately 10% of the workforce, some 6,000 people, are addicted to heroin and many depend on the government’s methadone rehabilitation program.

In addition to winning the presidency, Ramkalawan’s party, Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS), has also won a convincing majority in the islands’ national assembly.

They will have 25 seats compared to 10 in the United Seychelles. However, the president warned his MPs not to get complacent.

“Just because we’ve won, we can’t sit down,” he said. “We need to keep working hard, delivering what our people deserve.”

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