THE OPPOSITION WILL NEVER WIN………UNLESS
• It is becoming increasingly crystal clear that it is practically impossible for the opposition to win any sort of election in Seychelles outright for obvious reasons. A similar situation existed pre 1977 when Rene and the SPUP kept losing elections after elections and decided that the only way to get into government is to stage a Coup D’etat. Although we are not suggesting for one moment that there should be another Coup D’etat in Seychelles, we are genuinely concern that unless the government is prepared to level the playing field and work with the opposition for the betterment of all the people of Seychelles as a whole, an outright victory at the polls for the opposition will remain but a distant dream. Victory at the polls has indeed become almost an obsession with the SPPF and everything they do is geared towards achieving this sole objective; an overriding preoccupation of the ruling party which has threatened to totally consume the country.
• This realization is starting to dawn on a number of people who has fought relentlessly for change in the Seychelles but have little to show for it. The futility of an election exercise to give a semblance of democracy to the outside world and a sense of legitimacy to the SPPF government is beginning to take its toll, as the opposition has failed to register an outright victory at the polls time and time again. In Seychelles, it is said, you do not win an election, you buy one. This truism remains unchallenged as the SPPF has undoubtedly bought elections after elections by spending unlimited amount of money during election time to influence the results and win outright. It can easily be argued, therefore, to this end that President Michel is not and cannot be said to be the freely chosen President of the people of Seychelles in the true sense of the word.
•Although there has been some progress and improvement, notably in the last presidential election in 2006 when Wavel Ramkalawan peaked an all time high score of 46% of the total votes cast and the general elections recently when the opposition managed to keep its 11 seats in the National Assembly, nothing much has happened since the re-introduction of multi party politics in Seychelles in 1992. What many cannot fathom is the almost obstinate reluctance of the government of the day to engage the opposition in any meaningful way, adopting a political stance base on political consensus rather than partisan.
• It is generally accepted that we are a small country with a fragile economy dependent on direct foreign investment, tourism and our tuna industry to eek out an existence. Our political stability is therefore our forte. We cannot afford to jeopardize this fragile state of affairs. The testimony of the Commissioner of Police before Judge Riley has showed us one thing; that our police and security apparatus is in disarray and as a result this leaves the general security of the Country vulnerable to internal turmoil and strife. It also clearly shows that in terms of security arrangement this country has not changed much from the days when Rene and friends capitalize on the vulnerability of the country as a whole to stage one of the most ridiculous and easiest coups in history.
• Now that the Assembly has recently started its formal session on the 12th June 2007 and President Michel has won a second term in office as president in 2006, it is hoped that he would have a change of heart and govern this country by consensus. Seychelles as a country is verging on bankruptcy and we really need all the help we can get. However, charity begins at home and the day when the government and the opposition can sit down and engage each other in meaningful and sincere dialogue, is the day when our country will truly move forward and prosper. At the moment the country is split into two halves and we need leaders with “grandeur d’esprit”, selflessness and patriotism to pull the country from the depth of the abyss. We, the people of Seychelles, who elected President Michel as our President and provided him with employment in the process, remain his employer at all times and he, in turn, our employee. The jury is still out on his performance and we sincerely hope that he does not disappoint us all in the long run.
(Contributed)
