RAMKALAWAN-BLOWING HOT AND COLD!

James Michel and Wavel Ramkalawan sharing a private whisper!

Ramkalawan delivered his response to the State of the Nation address on Friday 15th February 2008. He was more or less reminiscent of his former self when he ﬁrst became a member of the National Assembly in 1993. However, the overall impression given was that Ramkalawan was blowing hot and cold. After being ridiculed by both SPPF and SBC for his recent change of heart when he unexpectedly embarked into a series of dialogues with President James Michel and the SPPF, Ramkalawan seems to have ﬁnally come to his senses. It appears that pressure from the SNP die hard and Le Nouveau Seychelles Weekly have forced Ramkalawan to re-consider his position vis-à-vis SPPF. However, many feel that Ramkalawan was being hypocritical since he voted for the budget en bloc with his party in the National Assembly in December after several secret meetings between himself and the President. After collecting his huge increment in salary he has made a political u-turn. Ramkalawan, it has been remarked is a bundle of contradiction. In 2007, before the elections he claimed that he wanted an opposition alliance to stop the SPPF from getting an outright two thirds majority in the General Elections. He implored DP to join him to ﬁght the powerful SPPF. When DP and SNP ﬁnally sat down and agreed to have an electoral alliance to ﬁght the powerful SPPF, Ramkalawan single handedly broke the alliance soon thereafter and kicked DP’s sole representative in the Assembly out.

After taking R.9000 increase in salary from SPPF Ramkalawan says on National Television that he cannot be bought. After taking 840, 000 every ﬁve years from SPPF he goes on national television and lambasts President James Michel and SPPF. Le Nouveau Seychelles weekly warned James Michel that Ramkalawan is not a man you can do business with. Mr. Paul Chow found that out the hard way to his own peril when Ramkalawan without warning or dialogue terminated the agreement which brought the opposition together. There is no question that Ramkalawan is an hypocrite. He is an hyppocite because he accepted the salary increment and voted for the budget in collusion with SPPF. Now after he has whispered into James Michel’s ear, shared a drink or two with him at State House and taken SPPF’s money, he accuses the government of not raising the salary of all Seychellois workers.

My questions to Ramkalawan are as follows:

1. Why did you vote in favour of the budget when the same did not make provisions for salary increment for all Seychellois workers on par with Constitutional Appointees?

2. Why did you not make the same or similar speech in response to Minister Danny Faure’s budget address?

3. Why did you not ﬁght for your Seychellois brothers and sisters when the budget was presented before the National Assembly in December?

4. Why did you say that you are relieved that you were not elected President when you presented yourself as the presidential candidate in three consecutive presidential elections?

5. Why did you put your candidature for the SNP leadership in the Convention last year when you have expressed your wish not to want to be elected as President of this country?

Ramkalawan, the fact remain that you took SPPF’s money, all 28, 000 rupees of it every month, R.84, 000 every year and R.840, 000 every 5 years. No amount of ranting and raving in the National Assembly would erase this fact. No amount of criticisms and accusations directed at SBC would make us forget that. You and only you, must be blamed for a situation which is of your making. You presented SBC with the opportunity to make a fool out of you and then you have the audacity to complain. Ramkalawan, you will work for that money. You will carry that cross no matter how heavy. You will stand in the Presidential election in 2011. You would lose that election for the ﬁfth time or is it sixth? Then you will step down. Then and only then will SBC put “The End” on our TV screens. Until then, SBC will continue to ridicule you, the people will continue to vilify you and you must atone for your political sins. We, the people of Seychelles, shall not be taken for fools ever again. Grit your teeth and bear another 5 years in political wilderness. You must continue to attack the SPPF as you have done recently until we, the people, tell you otherwise. Take the money, count it, recount it and enjoy it. When you retire SPPF will give you another R.23, 000 every month as your pension for the rest of your life. Take it, count it, re count it and enjoy it. But remember us, the hard working Seychellois families who got R.100 whilst others got R.400. Remember that you did not have the courage to speak for us when it really mattered. You failed to utter a single word in our defence when you raise your hand as high as you possibly can, together with the SPPF and voted for the budget. This, Mr. Ramkalawan, we will never, ever forget nor forgive!