April 06, 2007
Copyright 2007: Seychelles Weekly, Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles

PRESIDENT MICHEL WANTS AN ABSOLUTE MAJORITY TO CHANGE CONSTITUITION!

Rumours are rife that President Michel is anxious to win an absolute majority in the forthcoming parliamentary elections because he wants  to change the Constitution in order that he can stand for office for a fourth term, reached fever pitch this week after the National Assembly was unceremoniously and surreptitiously dissolved and the Electoral Commissioner  “ordered” to organize parliamentary elections in May.

Local political pundits have opined that the economy is expected to hit rock bottom before the end of the year and the current shortage of lemonades has clearly shown that we may have reached there sooner than we thought. President Michel has realized that three terms may not be quite sufficient for him to leave a legacy of economic growth, political  stability and democratic change if the Constitution is not amended to allow him to stand for office for a fourth term instead of the normal three as is currently provided for by the present constitution.

As former president Rene has also reached an advanced age Michel is hoping that  the passing of the former president would  give him a free hand to mould the country his way and stamp his personal mark and authority on our history, which he cannot do at present because Rene keeps breathing down his neck. It is clear that President Michel is a relative light weight compared to the more seasoned Rene and is struggling to impose his newly acquired presidential authority, albeit with his own mandate, on the country as he is continuously undermined by forces more powerful than himself.

Although President Michel has been advised by people close to him to ditch Rene and go it alone he is weary that the SPPF Constitution gives Rene and the party more power than the elected president and his government and that the latter can have him removed as president at the blink of an eye by evoking the SPPF Constitution. Michel can then be promptly replaced by someone who is deemed to be more loyal and trustworthy than himself; someone such as Danny Faure. Now that the party has been compelled dump no less than 14 SPPF members of defunct parliament as candidates, Michel wants to entice these new entrants to be his loyal supporters.  The previous crop of members of parliament was hand picked by Rene and it was becoming increasingly clear to President Michel that their loyalty laid elsewhere. Thus in his earnestness to ditch the lot and opt for new faces that he hopes will look up to him and be grateful that it was him who personally picked them as oppose to his predecessor.  

However, his plans may yet backfire as these candidates are generally seen as weak ones with very limited political experience and are relative novices to the Seychelles political scene. It remains to be seen how this shenanigan will play out at the ballot box, but what is certain is that if SPPF loses its majority in the National Assembly,  Michel may have to resign as President as well as call for fresh parliamentary and Presidential elections; a move likely to be trickier than initially anticipated.