Letters to the Editor

Are we serious in our fight against Cannabis in Seychelles?

Sir, I cannot stop laughing each time I hear or read about the ‘Police Communiques’ during SBC TV’s 8pm news as well as in the daily newspapers announcing the uprooting of cannabis plants all over the island! In fact the way I see it we should rename the ADAMS or any other group who carry out those uprooting from time to time as the ‘Special Cannabis Uprooting Squad’ (SCUS) because that (sadly) seems to be the only thing they can do or set out to do!

I laugh simply because it’s clear to me that we are indeed not serious in our efforts to fight this drug issue which has already invaded our beautiful little Seychelles and destroying so many families and the future of our next generation. Do we really want to put all those involved in the cultivation of cannabis behind bars? I personally and sadly believe that the answer is ‘No’! Why? We just have to listen to those daily ‘Police Communiques’ and you’ll want to smash your TV screen.

We hear time and time again that as little as 35 or 110 or even as much as 700 cannabis plants have been uprooted somewhere on Mahe or on one of the neighbouring islands and that the plants, seeds and other stuff seized at those sites have been brought down to the Central Police station. Well, isn’t there something missing? Did those plants simply fall from the sky? Are the birds to blame for spreading the seeds all over the country? We uproot and bring down the plants but what about those who are cultivating them? Do we need to ask Judge Rilley to come back simply for him to recommend (in fact, any 10 or 12 year old could do that) to the authorities concerned that we need to do stake-outs and close monitoring of those drug plantations and pounce on their owners when they eventually revisit their ‘gold mines’ to water their ‘gold’ or cultivate them for their lucrative market?

It’s only when I’ll hear that the uprooted cannabis plants are coming down to the Central Police station along with their owners that I will start to believe we are showing signs of seriousness in our fight against the cannabis drug barons. Is the Police, Army or Dog Unit understaffed so much so that they cannot allocate 4-5 officers on an overnight or full day monitoring of those cannabis plantations to await the arrival of the owners? I doubt it. Is it to do with costs involved such as meals and refreshments? Is it an overtime payment issue? If yes, I’m sure many of us honest, hard working citizens who continue to get by everyday with our ‘clean’ hard earned cash through endless sacrifices as well as parents who are indeed concerned about this ‘cannabis invasion’ would gladly contribute towards a special fund to assist those anti-drugs personnel and our reward and return on our investment would be simply…bring down the hands who are sowing those seeds and watering the plants and condemn them to the Montagne Posee prison before more and more of our citizens especially the youth are condemned to a lifetime of self-destruction while those drug barons who don’t or rather can’t have a bank account (at least in their names) and most of them not in a formal employment, their associates, dealers and pushers continue to build more private homes, commercial flats, purchase leisure and commercial boats, start their first or second car hire business, purchase their third or fourth 4 x 4 full options Jeeps and Twin Cabs, buy their fifth or sixth plot of land, confirm their fourth or sixth trip in a month to Kenya or Madagascar etc, etc! All this is happening while each day another parent is devastated by the dreaded discovery of traces of cannabis in the pockets, school bag, bedroom of his or her son or daughter.

My advice to the Seychelles Police…stop sending those useless communique’s until you can bring much joy and comfort to all law-abiding citizens of Seychelles by proudly telling us you’ve also made one or more arrests along with those uprooted cannabis plants! Wouldn’t it be sweeter and make our dinner go down much better when we’ll hear that “ 700 plants of cannabis have been uprooted at Montagne Posee and officers who were monitoring the plantation arrested 4 men…”? Wake up Seychelles, let us smarten our act and let’s walk the talk as we bring down the planters along with their plants!

I thank you  Mr. Editor for allowing me space in your paper.

G.D

THE LETTER NATION WOULD NOT PUBLISH

Sir,

It is with grave concern that I read in your issue of Monday 18th February under the heading “State House clarifies appointment procedures for new Chief Justice” in which you quote a statement issued by the Office of the President to the effect that “the new appointment (of the Chief Justice) remain fully within the purview of the Constitutional Appointments Authority as per the authority conferred to it by article 139 (2) of our Constitution)”.  Article 139(2) is not about the appointment of the Chief Justice. It merely says that “the Constitutional Appointments Authority shall not, in the performance of its functions, be subject to the direction or control of any person or authority”.  Appointment of judges is just one of the functions of the Constitutional Appointments Authority CAA.

The correct constitutional provision of the appointment of the Chief Justice or judges of the Supreme Court, is Article 127 which says “The President shall, by instrument under the Public Seal,  appoint the judges and Masters of the supreme court from candidates proposed by the Constitutional Appointments Authority”.  Under the Constitution, the Chief Justice is merely a judge of the Supreme Court who is required to perform certain designated functions, such as making the rules of the Supreme Court as well as ensuring that the judiciary functions effectively. 

The critical words in the Constitution are “The President shall, by instrument under the Public Seal, appoint the judges and Masters of the supreme court…”  It is evident from the text of the Constitution that the role of the President is to affix the Seal to make the appointment legal and constitutional. In effect rubber stamping. The Constitution  does not confer on the President the power of appointment. The President simply discharges a function as Head of State not as the Executive or head of Government. 

Therefore, the State House statement that, “the Constitutional Appointments Authority is mandated to select a list of potential candidates and then submit them to the Executive for nomination” is an erroneous and self-serving interpretation of the Constitution. It is clear from the letter of the Constitution that it is the CAA which nominates.  The President is bound by the Constitution to appoint the person proposed by the CAA for the post to be filled. The CAA must nominate only the person to fill each posts, not send a list of persons for the President to pick and chose in a conspiratorial manner. That is the raison d’être  for Article 139(2).

For the process of appointments of constitutional appointees, such as judges, to have credence it must be transparent and open. Regrettably under the previous chairman, Mr France Bonte, this was not the case. I was looking forward that under the chairmanship of Mr Jeremie Bonnelame the letter and the spirit of the Constitution would be followed. Indeed he has an obligation to do so. That was the intention of the framers of the Constitution. I know because I was one of them. And so was President Michel.

I make this public comment in the spirit of President Michel’s declaration that 2008 is the year of the Constitution. 

Paul B Chow,
President,
Democratic Party

LESKLAVAZ MODERNIZE

Lapey en lesklav ti enpe manze ek detwa vye resanz ki son met ti donn li , I pa ti ganny draw  dir naryen  akoz si non I ti  ganny pini.

 En lesklav i travay en kantite me son saler pa reprezant  sa kantite  kouraz  avek zefor I ti mete dan son travay, I ti ganny zis ase pou li kapab leve lannmen e travay ankor pandan ki I rente pou anmenn gro profi pou son bourzwa egois e avar ki de zour an zour ti redwir son porsyon e ogmant son gantite travay.

Sa I nou sitiasyon  aktyel : nou rente lizour koman aswar kontribye dan diferan fason pou ede retir sa pei dan sa presipi ki bann politisyen avar,egois,koronpi,parese e voler in met nou ladan e ki nou rekonpans? Bannki travay 8 fwa dan en mwan [enparti I bwar dite e manz biskwi] ek bann ki pe ganny bann gro sonm zot kontinyen ganny bann gro logmantasyon  tandis nou ki rente pandan en mwan plen nou ganny en logmantasyon Rs400.

 KESTYON: Eski sa menm leker pou tou Seselwa oubyen labous pou tou Seselwa akoz nou vot ki zot  bezwen ek en leker pou enpti porsyon akoz zot pa kapab ser sang zot vant tro gro.

Fodre fer remarke se sanmenm sa bann dimoun ki tou le 4ans zot vinn kouyonn nou andizan vot pou zot akoz zis zot ki pran nou zentere kan zot zis bann oportinist ki anvi ranpli zot pos, si ou refize kwar dan zot prensip ou vot pou zot; BECAREFUL; ou pa ganny clearance pou travay dan sa pei ki annan en kantite lanplwa kot saler ki zot ofer pa ni menm sifi pou soutenir en fanmir lanmwatye lemwan.

PAREY ZOT DIR: PLIS LISYEN I MEG PLIS PIS I SIS LI

S. Domingue

Realistic, Resilience, and Responsible

Dear Editor,

The other day I observed that the Democratic Party had placed several banners about Victoria to headline the re-opening of their head office.

To this I congratulate them.  However what caught my eye as I read the banner was the fact that the word ‘headquarter’, was spelt without the letter ‘r’ in one place written instead ‘headquater’, sounding almost like an English drill Sargent! Note the ‘r’ missing before’t’.

I did of course check with a local DP official who told me that there had been no mistake.  Indeed the official who did not wish to be mentioned since he was not authorized to speak publicly stated that it was their understanding that the letter ‘r’ was now in short supply locally following the President’s address on the State of the Nation, where he, our President, apparently used up all the letters that were available when stressing ‘Realistic, Resilience, and Responsible’.

I cannot confirm if this is true or not?  I would rather think, however, that indeed the DP did make a simple mistake in spelling with the official not wanting to admit it.  Probably saved them on printing costs?

However, if it is true then that would as well explain why all the latest vehicles for certain government departments of late on their number plates are without the letter ‘G’! “G’ as in Government of Seychelles.

Seychelles can ill afford to have the dreaded NAPA affect as well the letters in the alphabet.  Mr. Editor I urge your paper to follow this up to ensure that this is not the case.

In trying times a little bit of humour is good for the soul.

I thank you 

Raymond K. St Ange

February 29, 2008
Copyright 2007: Seychelles Weekly, Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles