ABUSE OF THE SYSTEM BY PRESIDENT MICHEL IS DENYING THE PEOPLE OF SEYCHELLES OF THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS!

ABUSE OF THE SYSTEM BY PRESIDENT MICHEL IS DENYING THE PEOPLE OF SEYCHELLES OF THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS!

The President of the Seychelles called a snap National Assembly election on the premise that he needed to obtain additional strength of numbers in the National Assembly, ostensibly, to permit him to push through legislation to compel MNA’s to attend the Assembly regularly, and to forgo remuneration when they are absent for “unauthorised purposes”. In almost every modern democracy, the MNA’s or Members of Parliament are elected by democratic franchise, by Districts to whom they are accountable. Their first point of accountability as human beings is to God the creator of all things, second to their conscience and third to their communities who place their trust in them.

There is an accepted international practice, in every Democracy, that there must be a separation of powers between the Executive (in this instance SPPF Government), the Legislature (elected MNA’s) and the Judiciary (Mr. Allear and compatriots). None of these bodies must be seen to be interfering in the domain of the other. This is what makes for sounds transparent and effective governance. If the Executive maintains a stance, which the SPPF holds, that they can dictate (as it seems their nature) to the MNA’s as to when they sit or how they elect to vote, including abstention or a walk out, they effectively deny the People of Seychelles their right to have a truly democratic House of Assembly. The People of Seychelles have indeed spoken as the “SPPF People” indicates, that they do not welcome a House comprising solely of SPPF MNA’s. They indeed indicated by their vote that an opposition whether it is SPPF or SNP/DP has a significant place in such a democratic institution. The very fact that the opposition was able to maintain its seat numbers despite the overwhelming difference in election budgetary resources and in a most minimal campaign, is itself a clear indication that the deception of the SPPF and in particular Albert Rene and James Michel was NOT acceptable.

The result of the election, although favouring SPPF because of its extensive political machinery and resources, is very significant for the number of disallowed ballots and more significantly, voters disenfranchised by having their names withdrawn, some inexplicably, from the electoral register or some shifted to other districts without their knowledge or consent. It has long been perceived that the SPPF have with a degree of collusion, gerrymandered the system by use of redrawn boundaries and the strategic placement of housing development but this new tactic of possible abuse of the electoral register is an abominable practice. It behoves all of us, well meaning Seychellois, to force the executive arm of government (SPPF) to accept the practice of introducing a fully fledged Electoral Commission, comprising of all stakeholders, to ensure that these kinds of undemocratic practices, which deny and cheat the people of Seychelles of their Constitutional right to elect their chosen leaders, without abuse of the process.