Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor

POWERFUL CARTELS AND INTEREST GROUPS

Sir, I wish to congratulate Weekly on the well balanced and insightful reporting which has characterized the paper recently. I find your articles to be well researched, intelligent and interesting to read.

Your piece on Corvina last week was particularly revealing, if not shocking. Many of my friends who read the article share the same view. One wonders whether our country is being run and influenced by powerful cartels and interest groups who put their selfish self interest first before that of the country.

It is clear that many of these people sit on more than one Board of Directors in different companies and may be earning substantial emoluments from their different chair. Some are even employed in high position in parastatals and are also earning fat salaries in addition to the Director’s fees in these companies.

The President has also seen it fit to appoint others on the powerful National Economic Planning Council further boosting their sphere of influence and powerful hold on a large segment of our economy. If they were powerful before, their appointments on the NEPC have made them even more powerful. Makes you wonder sometimes!!! Well done Weekly. Keep up the good job!

Name withheld.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2006

Sir, I have read the various reports on the Presidential Election 2006 in Seychelles. The Commonwealth Observers have said that the election was conducted in a normal way but that several irregularities have to be addressed. The SNP has just come out with a report that the election was free but not fair. In a democratic society there must be total fairness for an election to be accepted and legally recognized. When we think of it the election is like a race. Spectators observing a race either in the grand stand or on television see before them the development of a spectacle which appears to represent a free and fair competition but if afterwards “Joe blog” who came first is found to have been doped before the race the rules of fair competition cause him to be disqualified because he was competing under unfair advantages. Well, in Seychelles if a commission of enquiry is held we will find out all the advantages which the SPPF gave to itself in order to win the election: the amount of money of untransparent origin which they spent, the biased way in which the SBC operated throughout the campaign. These two factors alone are fundamental elements when speaking about “fairness” in an election in a democratic society. In the circumstances any fair adjudicator will rule that this election was “null and void”.

Fair-minded

MATTER OF INTEREST TO THE PEOPLE OF SEYCHELLES

Sir, on the 23rd of August 2006, I wrote to the Editor of Nation as follows:-

I have read with profound interest the article in your Regional Page of Wednesday 23rd August 2006 concerning the visit last week of an important Iranian delegation to the Comoros which ended with the Iranian agreeing to assist the Comoros in the development of agriculture, education and defence. This article goes a long way to support the analysis I published in the last issue of the Seychelles Review that the Seychelles are caught in the web of global politics.

The Iranian decision to provide the Comoros with three industrial fishing boats (presumably Tuna Purse Seiners) will no doubt be of considerable interest to both the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC). The defence agreement (which is not spelt out) will certainly re-emphasize the geo-strategic importance of the Seychelles to all those interested in the Indian Ocean as an important maritime lane. But what is perhaps more concerning is the religious dimension behind these collaborations.

Regrettably, the Editor of Nation vetoed publication of what I consider should be a matter of interest to the people of Seychelles. In the past, such a letter would have been published by Editor Denis Rose. Perhaps Editor Sylla is operating under new directive.

James R. Mancham

THE LONG ROAD TOWARDS REAL CHANGES

Sir, I am writing in connection of what lies ahead for Seychelles following the controversial Presidential Election which we have just gone through.

At the moment no one is sure what will be the approach of the Michel Presidency vis-à-vis the internal opposition to the SPPF politics – will he show “Grandeur d’Esprit and move towards National Reconciliation or the healing process or would he carry on pursuing a policy of division and polarization? Until this becomes clear – the Opposition must remain strong and united.

The Nouveau Seychelles Weekly’s efforts towards this goal remain therefore very important if eventually real changes are to come to this country. Unfortunately, the green valley of peace, progress and prosperity which we in the Democratic Party envisage is still not clearly visible on today’s horizon. But a day is a long time in politics and the “energy” which a newspaper like yours projects must remain focused and attentive on what is going on. Whatever one may say about Ralph Volcere, his article in the last issue of CORVINA has been an eye opener to many Seychellois including some active members of the SPPF. Both his research and bravado deserves our praise.

A Democrat

THE REAL LOSERS IN THE 2006 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Sir, Much has been said about who lost and who won during the recent presidential elections. Many of those who jubilantly participated in the victory rally may soon discover that they are the real losers after all.

Consider this: before the election, a high ranking government official received Rs. 300,000 for the construction of a wall. However, the activist who sweated up and down the secondary roads canvassing for votes only received Rs. 50 or Rs. 200 depending upon his ability I suppose.

Another SPPF supporter from a Unity House office received Rs. 76,000 for the a wall but decided to leave for France after she had voted SPPF, complaining that it was not worth staying because the SPPF government was going to collapse in the long-term anyway.

Another SPPF supporter in the South of Mahe received Rs. 200,000 and then decided to turn against them because his boss is now maltreating him.

It seems that yet again, the SPPF has misled 54% of the voters. When are they going to wake and start thinking clearly for themselves?

An Observer