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The Executive Committee of the Democratic Party has elected Mr Paul Chow, 54, as the second President and leader of the party since the party was founded in 1964. Mr Chow's mandate is for five years.

The post of President of the party became vacant in 2005 following the decision of former President Mancham to retire from active party politics in order to pursue more effectively his crusade for national reconciliation, now that the Seychelles is approaching 30 years as a sovereign nation. Mancham founded the party in 1964 at the tender age of 25.

According to the rules of the party, the Party Executive elects the President of the Party, who is also the leader of the party. The election was called by Nicol Gabriel, the party's general secretary, in conformity with the DP constitution, who asked for nominations from among members of the Executive. Each nomination had to be supported by two other members of the Party Executive and no member can nominate or support more than one candidate.

Nominations closed on Monday March 14 and the election by secret ballot was held on Wednesday March 16. There were only two candidates - Nicol Gabriel and Paul Chow. For the vote, all members of the Executive were sent ballot papers containing the names of the nominated candidates. Mr George Bibi, a member of the Party Executive was appointed to be the returning office for the election. Members entitled to vote had to return their ballot in a sealed envelop to the Mr Bibi between 5 and 6pm on Election Day. Result was declared the same evening.

According to Mr Bibi all 18 members of the Party Executive entitled to vote participated. The election of Chow makes the DP the pioneer among all the political parties in Seychelles to have achieved a smooth leadership transition, according to Bibi.

Paul Chow is the last child in a family of 8. He grew up at Beau Vallon where his father, a first generation immigrant form Southern China, had a village shop and bakery. He attended the St John Bosco primary school from where he won a government scholarship to attend the Seychelles College Grammar School. After secondary school, Chow won a scholarship from the French Government via l'Alliance Francaise to study Economics and Political Science at the University of Madagascar.

Chow originally joined the DP in 1968, at the tender age of 17 when he was still at the Seychelles College Grammar School - when the party was known as the Seychelles Democratic Party. In 1973, after returning to Seychelles from studying abroad, Chow became an aide to the DP leader Mancham, who was then Chief Minister of Seychelles under the self-government constitutional dispensation. He accompanied Mancham on political missions abroad as well as helping in drafting various speeches and party political broadcasts for the DP founder.

In an exclusive interview, Chow laid out his vision for the DP for the next five years. He said that his first task is to rebuild the grassroots of the party. Above all, however, the Seychelles is now at a critical crossroad and that, more than ever, it needs all those who want to see peaceful and effective change to join forces and provide unambiguous and transparent leadership to the people.

He said that the current state of affairs in Seychelles is a crisis that cannot be allowed to continue. This crisis, he said, does not just have an economic dimension anymore, but is also undermining the social fabric of our society. There is a sharp decline in our moral values while the interaction between the Government and the governed being conducted devoid of ethics and the rule of law, Chow said.

Chow said that the DP will be joining forces with those who desire peaceful but effective change in Seychelles. Above all, he said he will continue to lead the DP in the spirit of Seychelles First and National Reconciliation as established by party's Founder, the former President James Mancham.