The Christopher Gill’s Column
Tricks, Tricks and More Tricks!
The National Assembly Elections of 2007 have shown us what a political machine rooted in public cash, largess, guns with bullets and exclusive access to the Electoral Roll Register throughout the year can do with an Opposition that is scrambling to maintain its position in the political life of the Country and playing by nursery school rules.
When the Election result were read, for some reason, unknown to me, the problems in the electoral process from inception were not pointed out before the International Observers. Instead, we were being told, it’s time to work together that is the message the People of Seychelles sent us.
I am not so sure we all heard the same message from this Election. Ghosts do not talk neither do People denied the right to vote.
There are many elements of the Election that made it grossly unfair and undemocratic.
The Army Used In Campaign
The Army campaigned during these Elections. The movement of troops in town with AK-47 on the week and the week prior to the Election, imposed a threat tactic rooted in communist politics of intimidation. On the bases and camps, soldiers were given out SPPF caps, shirts, umbrellas and given orders to show up at the rallies. There are assertions that some were ordered to vote twice. The Opposition must substantiate these allegations and not allow them to go unchecked. Like in all crimes, Reward must be offered for information. On Praslin and La Digue, the Army presence was clear and visible. Military Patrol Boats donated by India were being used to ferry SPPF back and forth. India could not imagine its boats would be used for Elections, to retard democracy and public will setting back the democratic ladders Seychelles must climb.
In the last SPPF rally on May 6th, these boats were being used to ferry SPPF to Mahe. Army and Coast Guard, must be professional forces for the Country and not used for political purpose by a political party. The SADC Observers never made it to the Army camps to review the state of mind of its soldiers prior to the Election. It is in the belly of a cow that you find the most Bacteria. The Commonwealth Observers did not show up, hence the Opposition resorting to closet election tactics, to remain safe and unharmed (Battered Wife Syndrome in action) while the SPPF were the only Party to have any rallies in open, public venues. This is not healthy and shows a great deal of inhibition and highlights prevailing lack of tolerance of opposing views in Seychelles, under the SPPF. This is not democracy. It is the side effects of oppression. SPPF do not gain democratic credentials by being the only party to stage a paid for rally.
The Fraud Is In the Voter’s List
There were countless reports on fraudulent placement and replacement or alteration of names on the Voters’ Register. I personally witnessed my Mother’s name, a senior citizen, altered to her detriment. When the person making the roll call said she could not vote, she quickly pulled out her little yellow voter registration paper from her purse to defend her right as a real bona fide Seychellois, to vote, in spite of a bunch of Indian workers unknown to us, voting before her.
The Administrator of the Voters Registrar is SPPF and he works the voters roll all by himself, all alone, throughout the year. In her case, they had changed her name and birth date from what she had properly registered. Only her ID number remained the same. It was prima facie voter roll attempted theft and deception in action. How many Seychellois have gone through this lowest of the lowest tricks of having their names misrepresented on the Register only to be denied their right to vote in their Districts? From my understanding, there are thousands out there that were defrauded from exercising their constitutional right to vote. Had they been permitted to vote, the results would have been very different and the will of the People expressed and yes, respected.
Unless the Opposition puts its foot down, the Voters’ Register will always win Elections for the SPPF. Remember, the fraud is in the Voters’ Register. It looks at you, you look at it. It’s up to you to find the fraud. If you place the onus on SPPF to find the fraud, it is like telling a thief to return the diamonds and DVD he stole from your house last night. If you tell the Commissioner of Elections to find it, you are telling a Police under influence, to do his job in spite of you, being able to do something, about your own problem.
Buying ID Cards Again
There are allegations that ID cards have been bought again. This despicable act must be checked. Opposition should offer a reward for people willing to come forward and declare under Oath, that their ID Cards were bought by SPPF prior to voting booths opening. Perhaps a Reward of Rs. 500.00 per Complainant will help rectify this evil practice.
Jumping Boundaries
SPPF have gerrymandered the Districts again and again. The Opposition must verify these allegations as well. Do not sit around and wait to have it happen again. Officially call on the Public to provide detailed information of their experience under Oath. In Seychelles, it is very easy to manipulate boundaries, because Districts are so small and lines so indiscriminate.
Back To Ground Zero
Mr. President threw out the Opposition MNA’s and called for new Elections to give him a new group of People he can work with. The Electorate gives him back exactly what he threw out: 7 Directly Elected Seats and 4 Proportional Seats. The Opposition was not elected on a mandate to go work with SPPF. The SPPF MNA’s have that mandate. Opposition mandate is clear and not controverter: “go check and balance the SPPF, make sure they do not steal our money and make sure they put what little is left, to good use, keep them from borrowing too much and yes, give us access to our beaches”.
In effect, Mr. President has won nothing more then what he had prior to the State of The Nation Address in March 2007. Neither has the Opposition. But for the SPPF, it has been an expensive exercise, financially. For the Opposition it was an election on a budget. SPPF leadership must boil in respite when they think about how much money they have spent, to prop up failure and make our situation in Seychelles look good, for Voters to continue to endorse failure.
To them I say this: “better off just fixing the problems gentlemen, its cheaper then trying to make as if they are fixed, when in fact the problems have not been addressed by your Communist Leaders.”
To the People that voted for SPPF I say this: “BIG MISTAKE....U WILL FEEL IT SOON...NO PILL WILL CURE YOUR JJ FEVER IN 4 YEARS!”
Hired Singers Sing from Script
Before Elections, they sent out Army soldiers to scare us and create an atmosphere of intimidation. Between Elections, they sent out Red Shirts to see about the problems you have, from housing, to lack of PVC pipes, lack of cement, unemployment, they created, under their own system of Government (remember, RED is the international color of Communist, all over the world ).
After Elections, they send you a bunch of musicians in white shirts, dressed like modern day angels to sing to us about Peace and Unity on SBC. They craft a love song, wearing tight white shirts imported from Thailand (which cost about $1.00 each), depicting healthy, robust angels. They sing their lovely song to prepare us for SPPF’s devaluation of our currency and tough times ahead. They sing to us hoping we will pardon them for the pain we will go through over the next four (4) years. What calculators could not do for us at the Central Bank, they try to do with their guitar strings. Do not be fooled. These men are paid to sing from a script of lovely words, designed to put shrimp by product into our heads. Turn off your TV! When Devaluation hits us in full swing, these men will not be able to replace the strings on their guitars without taking a loan from the DBS.
They Want Respect
SPPF want respect. They ask for it because they are a one party communist regime whose roots are interned in evil deeds of violence upon our peaceful People. They try to scare Seychellois into supporting them with fear of retribution for believing in Peace and Freedom and not in their Communist Chains of suppression. Truth cannot be suppressed nor can you walk around it. This is testimony of our imperfect world.
It is SPPF’s duty to plant seeds of Respect. Respect must be earned and not demanded. So far, SPPF has made us the most Indebted Country in the World Per Capita. They have victimized opposition supporters, denying them work and equal opportunity. They have shunned the role of the Church in our society; they have imposed a Double Tier System that victimizes Seychellois business men, and aid and abets foreign businessmen; they are responsible for closing access to our beaches all over the Country; they are responsible directly, for the lack of valuable effective manpower in our Country. They have reduced the value of the Seychelles Rupee to toilet paper while at the same time; they tell us our Rupee will remain strong! You do not demand Respect when you are still trying to fool the People.
With this stance, SPPF will never gain Respect. Every Election, when a few Observers have been over fed, over dined on our fine fish of world standard, massaged at the Hotels with our money, they will cry out for more Respect. Cry all you want, Respect has been earned from the dawn of man, SPPF will never change that rule. Caesar of the old Roman Empire tried to demand Respect and failed. What makes you think you can succeed?
So SPPF...Get To Work!
Wife Beater Syndrome
In reaction to SPPF political Wife Beater Syndrome, to avoid incidences of violence which invariably leaves the Opposition as the victims and SPPF as the victors, in this Election, the Opposition did not hold any political rallies, instead opted for controlled group meetings. The SPPF on the other hand, held rallies without any opposition doing the same on La Digue, Praslin, and Mahe. On La Digue Praslin, military personnel were visibly present with AK-47 in hand during Election rallies.
One Party Rally
This exercise of one sided rallies has left the Police elated in as much as they do not have to react to any controversial crimes of a political nature. Police of course, are already short of manpower, and cannot get enough Officers to maintain even a patrol of the Beau Vallon Area. Young men, on the lazy side of life opt for services in the army or security detail. SPPF are free to have their rallies, everyone leaves them alone to jump and sing by themselves, much like they did in the One Party State. The Opposition cannot have rallies because of the high incidence of violence due to lack of tolerance in the Country, and SPPF habitual, without fail, use of military and Para military personnel to beat Opposition supporters in the streets, after a rally. This is a sad state of our democracy. The twist in these affairs is that SPPF’s heavy hand of violence, which seemed enjoyable when they do the beatings, are now coming back to slap them, in a manner very adverse to our democracy.
No Political Tolerance Exist in Seychelles
Spiritually, our People are in a One Party State. In terms of mutual respect and tolerance, we are in a One Party State. The only thing that keeps us from being completely one Party State is a couple of papers that come out every week. The Weekly, The Regar, Vizyon, and L’ Echo De Iles. If SPPF harm the writers or shut these papers down, we will officially be a One Party State. The State of our Nation has never been at an all time low as it is today. Mr. Michel has not wasted any time since elected in as much, as he has burnt a lot of candle, but provided very little light to our Country.
Commonwealth Ignore Seychelles
This year the Commonwealth Observers, decided not to show up. This is an outrage. I cannot understate this point. The Observers have” fish scales on their eyes”. The Opposition must seriously lobby the Commonwealth. What are all the trips to London for? Better Reports must be filed and complied and served on the Commonwealth to put the case forward for lack of democracy in Seychelles. What we live, they must see. This is a big part of the Oppositions job, today. The Opposition must go beyond little kan- kan pamphlets every week and consider that to be a weeks work...a wage earned. If Mr. James Mancham had been more involved, to participate more in the Election process, I can assure you without a doubt, the Commonwealth would be here to monitor the Elections. Something is just not right.
SADC Smells Something
SADC Observers noticed that it was too quiet for Elections. They saw one party hold rallies only. They could not have left Seychelles with a positive impression. If so, they will declare us the only African State where in elections, only one party has rallies others remain silent. This is very undemocratic in SADC’s eyes. Secondly, in South Africa, on radio stations people were yelling and screaming over the controversy of Mr. President’s photos props along side National Assembly candidates. They declared Seychelles to be an embarrassment to SADC. One commenter mentioned that we should be thrown out of SADC for displaying such arrogance. Again, Mr. President embarrasses us over what is not good democratic practice, but in his limited vision, is fine and acceptable. In effect, he is short changing us in our quest for a better Country and an opportunity for Seychellois to reconcile and become one People.
Over the next four (4) years, Mr. President will try to short change us even more.
Seychellois Beware! A society that lives divided becomes unproductive. If we become unproductive, Mr. President’s dreams of doubling GDP will end up where you put the toilet paper...sorry, our Rupees...in the Savings Bank.
