ALBERT RENE’S BIG LIE

ALBERT RENE’S BIG LIE

This is the radio address Albert Rene made to the people of Seychelles in the early evening of 5th June 1977 the day of the coup d’etat.

You have heard on Radio Seychelles since this morning that the people of Seychelles have decided to overthrow Mr. Mancham’s Government and that they have asked me to form a new Government. After having accepted, I think is my duty to explain several things so that firstly you will be able to understand what was happening in Seychelles lately and secondly to give you an idea of how I expect the country to run in the future. I hope that after I have finished you will understand why I agreed to form a Government which I will work for the betterment of the people of Seychelles, a Government which will guarantee the freedom of its people. It is clear that today has been an eventful day and naturally I will not be able to tell you much.

I have to form a Government and I must ensure that no-one in the country suffers because of the changes which have just taken place. I have agreed to form this new Government because I too, have been worried by many things that have happening lately. Furthermore, Mr. Mancham was trying to create a situation whereby he would remain President forever, and he was putting our country in such a situation that we would have found ourselves slaves of the capitalists and of foreign countries. I had told him that before postponing the election for another seven years as he had been trying to do, we should have a referendum and ask the opinion of the people. I explained to him that for my part I have to consult the Seychelles’ people first, in particular those people who gave me their vote.

But Mr. Mancham replied that whether I liked it or not he was going to have the election postponed. His answer proved to me once and for all that he was adopting a dictatorial attitude and naturally I shared my impressions with as many people as I could, because it was necessary for me to inform the people of what was going on, and therefore today I cannot blame anyone if the people have found it necessary to overthrow the Government.

I now believe that we shall have the chance to run the country in such a way as to satisfy the people of Seychelles and to enable this to be done we need the co-operation of all. And since this morning I have felt that this co-operation is real.

Between now and tomorrow afternoon I shall be able to explain to you over Radio Seychelles how the new Government will work, and I shall also be in a position to tell you who will be the members of the new Government.

For today, I implore you all to co-operate and obey the order broadcast over Radio Seychelles to stay at home. Tomorrow morning as well everybody must stay at home until further notice. Those who are working at the hospitals, airport, electricity department and the hotels can go to work and also all those who have to board a plane can safely do so. I also want to ask all foreign countries not to interfere with the internal affairs of Seychelles. We shall keep on respecting the good relationship we have with foreign countries but at the same time we are not going to allow anyone to try to make us their puppets. As I said before, tomorrow I shall be able to talk more lengthily but for today I ask of you again to stay calm and not to provoke anyone. It is a difficult time and not a time for games.