The Boss vs The PresidentIn Ma-zonn Da Pep the Boss has rolled up his sleeve and given the Leader of Government Business and the President a dressing down. He has removed all the cob webs from everyone's fluttering brains and he has reasserted in no uncertain terms who is Lion, who is Deer and who is Wild Boar. He declares in no uncertain terms: "me Boss...me Lion...you Deer you, Wild Boar...or dinner ...choose". Don't choose both.
This little scenario would be all fine like ice cream in a Disney animation like "Lion King" or "
Under the existing structures of the SPPF, the Leader of the Party is France Albert Rene. He seems to be at the post for life. After he passes on, it seems that he will let the Party "Be What It Wants To Be". It can become progressive and live up to its name, which it has not done yet; it can evolve into a Tony Blair Liberal type of Party going around in circles trying to make ends meet; it can join up with the early rebels of SPUP which are now more or less the SNP and have one Party. Possibilities are there, it all depends on how Father sways, but certainly not while Rene can say two cents about the affair.
For now, it is dogmatic Totalitarianism masked in a Dictatorial Democracy for SPPF. The Dictator is not Michel of course. It is Rene. Zom Lib, that Grey piece of metal work with its spine placed on the center of its belly, no cladding (clothes), no emotion, no meaning, is the center of Rene's folklore of how and why he took over on June 5th 1977 and overthrew the very Government which he was a part of, in the key post of Prime Minister in charge with actually running the Country.
June 5th, the corner stone of Rene's fable and historical lie, it is the day he commands his Party to turn up to the once a year street gala and fake a celebration minus Rene himself, of course.
This act of misinformation is important to Rene only. Ministers despise having to lay these flower wreaths at a metal man’s feet. They all go along with the show only to please the master. Its like the rally SPPF held after the Student protest in September 1979, it was done to show support for Rene to prop him up by mass hysteria. One idiot even had a placard that said: "98% Support". Remember that? Rene hopes that eventually this type of public hysteria beats his opponents into mental submission. He hopes they accept a falsehood to be Truth. It's a little like that software the Import Customs is using, "ASYUDDA" or whatever its name is. Eventually SPPF will convince everyone that it is not worthwhile to import anything into
District Administrators show up to keep their jobs, since the Party Boss takes account of who shows up and who abandons the show. But the Boss is Boss and what the Boss says do, you must do it. If not, you will be fired!
An acceptable way to run a business perhaps, but not an acceptable way to run a Country teetering on the verge of collapse and drowning in a muck of quick sand of Boss' failures. You do not think for a moment SMB is being dismembered because it was a grand success, do you? Of course not, we are floating in failure. It is all around us.
Rene clouds the minds of SPPF and says to them, "where would you be today if it was not for Zom Lib and Liberation?" Well, definitely much better off. In 1976 British Airways flew here on a Boeing 747, 3 times a week to 80 destinations. Our money which we worked hard for, was convertible and even in 1978 Rene told us himself "Foreign Exchange Controls would not be introduced in
As for the daily complaint of shortages, SPPF can stop the complaining by doing field trips for ‘trwazyenm az' and our school children to SIBA Offshore IPCS and Gopals and other outlets to see for themselves all the food and drinks in the world available right here in Seychelles, but not for them. Take St. Michel Football team along for fun as well. They will walk out with all the football shoes they can handle, and sports drinks.
The Leader of Government Business leads no Government Business. Mary-Louise Potter is a Proportionately-Elected Member of SPPF to the National Assembly. She is answerable to the Boss. Any Government Business that contradicts the wishes of the Boss will and must be tossed out of the Order Paper if she is to keep her job and fat salary, perks, retirement and VIP Listing. This leaves Government Business subject to the whims of Rene. A sad state of affairs for a Country that cannot even maintain current accounts to settle its milk and fuel bills on its own, not to mention purchase its own Police cars which, if true, is sad indeed. Enlighten us SPPF. In the National Assembly, the Boss is Boss. Boss towers over the big forceful imposing voice of Dr. Patrick Herminie, the Speaker of the National Assembly. As a Proportionately-Elected Member of The National Assembly, he only sits in to occupy the Third Branch of Government Seat. In all finality, he answers to the Boss. He is not and cannot be independent or impartial. The Legislature has no independence from Rene. It is dependent on Rene.
The argument Herminie sends us that we have a strong Executive Branch is a smoke screen for us having a strong man who gives orders from his Bunker - office. The orders Lord over all of SPPF and all of
The President of The Republic is elected by the SPPF Central Committee to stand as candidate in the Presidential Elections. This is no loose knit Central Committee. It is the Boss's operating Committee. What the Boss wants, Boss will get. In a word, our symbol of ultimate National Leadership is in the hands of someone who is not his own man. The Boss has likely said on many occasions: "don't let the side-saddle motorcycle fool you or the new limousines kid you... don't let the private jet excursions get to your head, I am the Boss". If true, this is a sad state of affairs for not just SPPF but for all of
The Former Chief Justice would always say that his Boss was the Boss. He took orders directly form the Boss when it was a critical issue to decide. The President, of course, has meddled less in the Judiciary than the Boss did judging from the termination and leave of employment of the Chief Justice. He has also asked for a transparent, effective Judiciary and has also highlighted that it must be credible, inferring that in the past, it was not. This is a departure from the impression the Boss gave us of the Judiciary. After all, the last Law Reports to be published was in 1994, while Boss was still around and kicking publicly. If Boss wanted a Country of Laws he would have told his Chief Justice or Attorney General to ensure the Law Reports are in fact published or find another employment. He did not. This single act of misfeasance has made us a Banana Republic under Boss's leadership. Today, our Judiciary is in tatters. President Michel has pledged to fix it but those are just nice words. Boss can always summon him to Ma-zonn Da Pep and instruct him not to touch it.
Our hearts and sympathy must go out to our fellow SPPF Brothers and Sisters who, in this difficult time of confusion and despair, do not know who their leader is. Perhaps Charles De Commarmond or Simon Gill will jump in the ring and declare they are their own men and stand on their own two feet like seasoned soldiers and declare themselves both political Generals of 5 star grade and sort this mess out for us.
SPPF charades are coming full circle. Respect in the rank and file is deteriorating quickly. Majors, Principal Secretary's, Ministers, are starting to call one or the two Leaders, names not worthy of this Column, in public. The Bible says, in chapters that discuss the falling Towers of Babylon, that after evil has flourished and engrossed the citizens, "Evil will destroy Evil". I appeal to SPPF cadre, exercise restraint and pray for your Leaders. Don't give them names which are not reflected on their certificates of birth. This is not civil. In this dire tug of war between your political icons there will be a winner and a looser. Just wait and you will see!
We must make sure our Nation wins. Put Seychelles First and along side that Put Seychellois First. Empower our People and not give "Power" to one person. Learn well Seychellois; learn for your children's sake; Power corrupts, Absolute Power corrupts absolutely!
Unlike Boss, Mr. President travels the region in private jets, being welcomed by Kings and Emirates, and he is put up in 7 Star Hotels on the account of his Hosts. As he enjoys these luxuries he has asked us to feel proud for a Seychellois to be received so well. (Ok now, don't pat yourself on the shoulder too much for being a roving-salesman!) He of course, invites them to
Soon the rich investors start to feel there is something sleazy about the way they are being squeezed and it carries with it a sense of desperation. Investors smell desperate men in desperate situations. They see that everyday. The richer a man gets, the more desperation he sees around him. With that, the President welcomes Investors, Boss squeezes them to death and eventually they all leave one by one, slowly but surely, for it is easy to get into quick sand but hard to get out.
As they leave, Boss tarnishes Mr. President's reputation a bit more, and makes our Republic looks like a Banana Republic a little more. The Army, of course, is kept in place so no one laughs and no one reacts. The President, come mid November each year, will pull out the plastic chairs, place them on the official lawn and call the District Administrators and have them bus in their people who have been good for the year, and throw a Birthday Party for the Boss. Speeches will be made and all present will have to look like they are all grateful. Boss will wear white to look successful but simple. We will pay the bill as usual and the failure will continue to bury us like a giant wave which no swimming lesson could have ever prepared any of us DP, SNP or SPPF for survival against these odds. Only a prayer will help now.
I have been informed the 1978 Detainees are taking action to seek court action before the International Tribunals of Justice, through some Irish lawyers, for unlawful detention by Boss in 1978. They believe Boss has gotten wealthy since then, and believe they are entitled to some of that wealth, since the detentions without trial or charge violated their rights to Travel, Movement and Freedom, created great Emotional Distress and public humiliation upon their person.
It seems they have been encouraged to finally seek some redress. Don't blame me for this. I was only 14 years old at the time of the detentions, working a 125 client daily paper route to pay my way through a private Caspisian school. I have nothing to do with it, but I heard about it.
May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!