Copyright 2006: Seychelles Weekly, Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles

As evening fell Saturday July 29 Paramilitary Police armed with AK 47 set up road blocks in various parts of the  North of  Mahe, where the opposition is expected to make a clean sweep in the election, stopping and searching vehicles, especially those carrying young people. As night fell unconfirmed reports say that a number of youngsters had been detained in various police cells. Opposition claims that this is an ongoing attempt to spread fear among the opposition supporters in order to deter them from voting. Those detained may not be released in time for them to cast their votes.

A local NGO, the Centre For Rights and Development has complained to the Electoral Commissioner, Mr Hendricks Gappy that no arrangement has been made to allow remand prisoners to vote. Only convicted prisoners serving a sentence of more than six months are denied the right to vote. The NGO has also claimed that 25 young people were arrested last weekend and held in various jails. The Electoral Commissioner Mr Hendricks Gappy has not accepted local NGOs as formal election observers.

ELECTION NEWS UPDATE 2