May 26, 2006

TROUKLER

SBC AGAIN IN OVERT SUPPORT OF SPPF ELECTION CAMPAIGN

The Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) once again overtly and unashamedly showed its partisan role in the current election campaign, defying its obligations under the Constitution and its charter.

Last Sunday evening, while presenting what the organisation’s editors purported to be a two day old news report on the SPPF Congress, the SBC reporter was heard very overtly presenting each of the name of the new SPPF candidates for the National Assembly elections in a roll call fashion, as if at a school graduation ceremony. By this action, the Corporation showed that it is prepared to openly provide not only its medium but also its personnel to the SPPF election campaigns thus flouting its obligation under its charter and the Constitution to provide divergent views.

The mandate of the National Assembly does not end until the end of 2007. Yet SBC did not see fit to ask any of the current members of the National Assembly, elected on the SPPF ticket in 2002, but now ceremoniously and publicly dumped by the party in a most humiliating manner two years before their mandate expires – for their opinion and comment. The opinions of these individuals, that have now become non-entities in their own party, should have been of interest to the voters who elected them, since it is the same SPPF leadership that recommended them to the voters as fit to represent them.

Article 168  of the Constitution, which obligated the creation of the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation Charter after the advent of the multiparty system, explicitly requires SBC to “operate independently of the State and of the political or other influence of other bodies, persons or political parties … as well as afford opportunities and facilities for the presentation of divergent views.” 

HISTORY IN THE MAKING

WILL THE SPPF MNAs COMMIT POLITICAL HARA-KIRI?

The National Assembly will next week Tuesday debate a motion calling for its dissolution to allow for a general election. If the motion is passed it will meaning that both the National Assembly and Presidential elections will be held at the same time.

This motion has been tabled by the leader of the Opposition, Mr. Wavel Ramkalawan; it is in fact the only item on the order paper for the day proving the importance being attached to it by the National Assembly secretariat.

The Presidential election if held on its own and won by Ramkalawan will present his office with the difficulty of running the country without having a working majority in the National Assembly. This will definitely present certain difficulties, but will not render his government inoperative. However, it is clear that Ramkalawan is now confident in winning the presidential election and is also looking for the luxury of having a National Assembly under the control of the opposition alliance.

This situation presents the SPPF with a dilemma, because they currently have just under two-third representation in the National Assembly, an advantage they will want to keep irrelevant of if they win or lose the Presidential election. The other problem which Ramkalawan’s motion poses for the SPPF is the fact that no less than nine elected MNAs will not be standing again in their respective districts. Will the likes of Norbert Lepathy, Walter Confait, Dick Esparon, Louis Gopal, Patrick Herminie, Daisy Rath, Ginette Gamatis, and Robert Georges with the exception of probably Barry Faure be prepared to inflict upon themselves the humiliation of voting for their own demise and losing their remuneration in the process?

It remains to be seen if they will swallow this bitter pill, which is about to be forced down their throat cutting short their mandate entrusted to them by the people. Or will they go down selflessly and vote against or abstain to save their dignity.

They say politics is not for the faint hearted. Tuesday’s session of the National Assembly should sort out the boys from the men (no offence meant girls!).