DID THE ELECTORAL COMMISSIONER CONSPIRE WITH THE SPPF TOO?

Last week, the SPPF saturated the airways of the State broadcasting media SBC throughout the week advertising a rally. Ostensibly, the rally was to celebrate 42 years of the creation of the party, even though the party was created in 1978. But the voice over was explicit in its invitation to the public to come and enjoy the JJ spirit, the election slogan of the SPPF presidential candidate.

Another meeting was set the following week to discuss other matters pertaining to the forthcoming presidential election, but Gappy would not publicly set a date for the elections, even though according to the Constitution he could decide on any date between 3rd May and 3rd August. When pressed he said could not announce a date until he had received all new ballot boxes, imported from the UK it appears. The existing ones, he claimed – even on SBC – were not in good state. That these boxes need to be replaced must have been obvious to Mr Gappy three years ago.

Mr Gappy’s behaviour, although mysterious, became more and more evident by the day.  During the SPPF congress – held only a few weeks ago, the official SPPF candidate, James Michel said that he would respect the decision of the electoral commissioner on the date of the election, as if there was some doubt that it could be controversial. It became clear subsequently, as to who had written the script for the announcement of the date of the presidential election.

Last week, Mr Gappy cancelled a meeting with representatives of political parties giving the excuse that the ballot boxes had arrived and that he needed to be at the port to clear them himself. Then unexpectedly, on Friday afternoon, Mr Gappy faxed a copy of an official Gazette to this newspaper in which he had published the dates for the first round of the presidential election as well as the date for nominations.

The same evening SBC television announced that Mr Gappy had announced the date of the presidential elections amid saturated advertising of the SPPF rally. Immediately, therefore, the SPPF rally became an election rally for all intents and purposes.

Under the circumstances, Mr Gappy could have delayed his announcement for Tuesday 6th June to avoid any accusation of collusion with the SPPF. According to the law, any notice in the Gazette for an election does not take effect until 7 days later, not two months later. An announcement dated Tuesday 6th June would take effect on June 13th - ample time for everyone.

Mr Gappy could have cleared the air about the presidential election a long time ago, not withstanding the state of the ballot boxes, and put paid to all the speculations, mostly generated by deliberate SPPF propaganda. However, he chose not to do so - even, helping fan the speculation by his silence and actions bordering on deviousness. Mr Hendricks Gappy, the Electoral Commissioner has been less than honest with the people of Seychelles and as a result has brought his good offices into disrepute.