LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Brothers in Dictatorship
Sir, A few days ago,
Sometimes we forget the close links which France Albert Rene developed with
Of course, our history has taught to what extent France Albert Rene has imitated Kim II Sung and put into practice a policy to curtail our freedom of action and judgment.
Our photo here shows a smiling France Albert Rene arriving in
Survivor of the 1977 Coup d’etat
I MADE MISTAKE IN NATION ARTICLE
Sir, I notice that a number of local newspapers have written articles saying that President James Michel used the word ‘devaluation’ in his early morning interview of October 4th at the airport, insisting that Nation’s initial report which carried the word was correct.
Although Nation apologized to the President, Minister Danny Faure and its readers, I would like to make it clear that it was me as a journalist who made the regrettable mistake.
I was sleepy and under extreme pressure when I wrote the article having not rested for weeks and having woken up early to meet the Head of State even though that Wednesday was meant to be my day off after weeks of long and continuous working days.
Before writing the article about his overseas trip, I needed to write a long feature which required to be printed first for technical reasons, so it was only late that Wednesday afternoon that I got a chance to do the article, important as I considered it to be.
My apology explaining how the mistake got in was two pages long, but for my part, the shock was not in seeing that the word had erroneously got into the article, because I had typed in myself, twice, but that I had failed to remove it in the second instance as I planned to.
The quote in paragraph 3 was supposed to explain the statement in paragraph one, yet you’ll notice the first paragraph had ‘liberalization’, not ‘devaluation’ so the two paragraphs did not go in tandem as they ought to have done.
Despite many mitigating factors, I consider myself 100% responsible for the blunder, and it pains me when reports continue to say that the President used the word, when I still have the original recording of his interview in which he does not mention the word ‘devaluation, even once.
Having explained this, I would only take further insinuation that the President uttered the word ‘devaluation’ as a personal attack on me and hereby request you to desist from doing so.
Thanking you in advance for your cooperation,
Journalist, Seychelles Nation
Editor’s note: You sound like a North Korean journalist would have sounded under similar circumstances. In the final analysis, George, where was your editor? I know, most probably asleep in front of his PC while you had to slog away! Oh how I sympathise with you hardworking Nation journalists.
A BAD SEND OFF
Sir, We have all heard the presentation at the National Assembly and via the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation, about the status of our economy. This was a presentation of financial sector reforms. I note that neither the Minister nor his ministry have addressed the issue of local currency at the Duty Free Shop at the International Airport and needless to say at its outlets.
I have on many occasions when I travel witnessed shocked and angered tourists who have a few more rupees left and being told that “Excuse me”, we do not take rupees here!” In one incident the customer said “but we are still in your country” and the sales rep said “I know but this is the policy”. When the customer asked for the document, none was produced and you hear the sales rep mumbling amongst themselves “Be mwan ki mon kapab fer pa mwan lafot monn fatige dir zot klian I ankoler”. (And what can I do, I’m tired of telling that that clients get upset.)
What an irony this is for the Tourism industry, the very one that is anticipated to break a record for the year (as always) when they are down to their last few hundred rupees, they cannot spend them before they leave the country. What is wrong with this picture is that, it looks like the country is marketed but we leave out this part ‘and by the way please change your money into foreign currency if you want to shop in our Duty Free Store in order to buy your last Seychelles Souvenir, Rupees have no value in such stores.’
What kind of an image is this? While we are cleaning the mess, this is one sore that we ought to clean up immediately! This is a bad send off. The visitors should be made to feel worthy until they touch ground where their destination is. Even in the region EVERY Duty Free store accepts their local currency.
This is a call on the Minister, especially the new Seychelles Marketing Board to address this issue immediately and stop embarrassing us Seychellois who are traveling and using this facility. In case the Minster was not au-courant about all of these, since he travels VIP, we the ordinary Seychellois, are the ones that get embarrassed when faced with this situation.
I am no economist but as a social scientist I subscribe to the theory that every option has pros and cons. I hope that our pros for liberalisation are more than our cons otherwise we would be in a sorry state. Let’s make sure that the financial reform is in line with a democratic society.
Redress the situation and enhance our image.
A concerned Citizen
DEMOCRACY A LA SSU
Sir, After having taken time to analyse the peaceful event of October 3rd, at the National Library and the subsequent brutality by SSU officers, as well as the declarations made by Police Commissioner Waye-Hive, please allow me space in your newspaper to call on the same commissioner to initiate immediate investigations into the following recent incidents which smack of “unlawful assemblies.”
•-The huge crowds which blocked State House avenue and a large part of Victoria just to see the two Mexican soap actresses by the names Paloma & Barbara, when they exited from a visit at State House.
•-The long queues at SMB warehouse at
•-The numerous daily gatherings around town including
•-The hundreds of IOT workers who filled up gym car park waiting in vain to see President Michel to voice their grievances.
No legal actions whatsoever have yet been taken in those incidents. Don’t be choosy and petty Commissioner, on which group of people to take legal action against, and which group is to be excluded from the same action.
The following may also be considered as “unlawful assemblies:”
• -The continuing big crowds at most bus stops in the country every morning around 07.00 am.
•-The long queues at Supasave Supermarket every Saturday morning around 07.00am.
Let’s see real justice flourishes in this country for once, and not merely nice words please.
I would like to congratulate SSU and SBC for their combined efforts in creating our own made-in-Seychelles “-movie magic”, which was aired on TV on Wednesday October 4, 2006.The slick bandages on the arm and wrist of the two supposedly injured officers were just fantastic. I bet, you too might be among those nominated for next year’s Oscar Award. You certainly can give
The real injuries incidentally, ladies and gentlemen of SBC were to the heads of Mr Ramkalawan and Mr Ferrari, as well as several other SNP supporters, and also ordinary passers-by.
Now Commissioner can you tell the public why you did not inform them, when you were on TV Tuesday October 3rd, 2006, about the so-called injuries sustained by the two SSU officers? Why did the police wait 24 hours later to do so? Furthermore, why did the “injured” officers have to hide their faces in front of SBC camera? They were certainly not afraid to do so 24 hours earlier when they were involved in beating up an unarmed priest who is a member of the assembly, with full immunity at that, as well as other unarmed persons, including women.
They are such a courageous bunch those SSU officers,beating up unarmed people when they themselves are armed. “Gard Bate”: was their nick name during the one party state, and now in our pseudo democracy, (the
Will you Commissioner, explain to us , just how was it possible that with over two dozens armed SSU officers present, one man, one single man, the bodyguard of Mr Ramkalawan, was able, according to police report, to injure two of it’s officers and walk away thereafter unscathed? Considering the brutal way the SSU usually operate against opposition sympathizers , don’t you think this is rather strange indeed? Or was the police suggesting that the bodyguard is none other than Clark Kent Superman in disguise?
Thank you Commissioner, sir, for having proven to many Seychellois that telling the truth is not necessarily one of your strong points. The public has for so long stopped trusting in the police force. And now, given the poor and unreliable performance you had displayed as head of that institution, it will surely not instill any confidence and credibility in neither you personally or the force in general.
Bravo SBC, for having had yet again, taken the Seychellois for a bunch of idiots!
Thank you for the space.
Larry P.
THE
Sir, I should to refer to your article on the re-inauguration of the
The Swiss Capuchin Father Lambert (Paul Noël) arrived for the first time in the
He said, I quote
“Je faisais alors des festins, ce qui veut dire, je réunissais 40 à 50 hommes pour porter ou amener avec un diable les grosses rochers, qui devient servir de fondation, et a ces hommes je donnais de bacca, jus de cannes fermenté, comme récompense.»
Father Simon left Baie Lazare on 5th October 1933. His successors did not carry on with the project. Seventeen years later Father Lambert Noël decided to give his support for the construction. However, the construction was done under the supervision of Brother Pierre-Marie Magnin of Hauteville
It is sad that those poor men who have worked hard for eleven months for that church whose recompense were only bacca have been forgotten in the annals of the church. Meanwhile, I would suggest that the book “La Croix sur les îles” be revised.
Julien Durup
A student of