RAMKALAWAN -THE VILLAIN OF SEYCHELLES POLITICS

Ramkalawan is fast acquiring the unenviable reputation of being the rogue of Seychelles politics. His recent political maneuvres bear all the trademark of a political mercenary at play. Although he will no doubt make some short term gain for himself personally, it is questionable whether his style of doing politics is in the interest of his political party or the country as a whole for this matter.

RAMAKALAWAN STARTED FLIRTING WITH THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY EARLY IN 2007 when he approached the latter to form an electoral alliance to ﬁght the mighty SPPF during the general elections. He convinced the DP leadership at the time that it was imperative to stop the SPPF winning two thirds in the elections as there was a real danger that they might amend the Constitution. SPPF had then threatened an outright majority in these elections and had predicted a 25-0 win. This came after the SNP showed indecisiveness and was dithering, not knowing whether they will participate in the general elections or not. They had walked out of the National Assembly protesting the 3rd October infamy, stopped printing Regar and were clearly suffering from political fatigue. They had also decided to stop doing rallies and door to door campaigning. They adopted the slogan “En Lafors Trankil” to justify their inability or unwillingness to be politically active during a crucial election. The Democratic Party agreed to come to their rescue and Ramkalawan promised one proportionally elected seat to DP as their reward. Unknown to DP at the time, Ramkalawan was secretly planning to do away with DP once he got what he wanted. Thus he acted swiftly and callously, when presented with the slightest opportunity, to kick DP’s representative out of the National Assembly and embarked on dialogue with SPPF.

The SPPF, breathed a sign of relief when Ramkalawan unexpectedly and without warning started to ﬂirt with them politically. They claimed that they were right when Albert Rene predicted that the marriage between SNP and DP will not last long and that it will inevitably end up in Court in divorce proceedings. When Ramkalawan started showing an amorous interest in the SPPF many wondered what he was up to this time around. He was seen publicly and frequently going in and out the gates of State House to court his new found love interest. He was ﬁlmed whispering sweet nonsense in President Michel’s ear at St. Louis. He was seen at the SPDF army camp forging new relationship with Flo Payet; the army chief. He was even seen seated behind the Vice President at the Stadium watching the SPDF parade without the slightest hint of uneasiness. As the SNP die hard began to let their feelings show about Ramkalawan’s political shenanigans, political pundits started to speculate what he was really up to this time around.

It did not take long for us to ﬁnd out, as the budget was presented before the National Assembly in December 2007. Ramkalawan, like a bat out of hell, pounced. He voted, for the ﬁrst time ever, together with the SPPF in favour of the budget to the consternation of all his supporters. This was the budget which gave Ramkalawan, a monthly salary of R.28, 000; an increase of R. 9000 from his previous salary. It also gave him an additional sum of R.84, 000 annually and a gratuity of R.840, 000 every ﬁve years, a huge increase of R. 340, 000 on his previous gratuity. This is not all; he was also guaranteed a pension of R. 23, 000 every month for the rest of his life. Ramkalawan overnight became a millionaire and politics started to look like a good career move for him instead of being condemned to the clergy where he was bound to make a modest and humble living.

HAVING GOT WHAT HE WANTED, IT TOOK RAMKALAWAN BARELY TWO MONTHS TO EMBARRASS PRESIDENT MICHEL, who had praised him for his vision and statesmanship when he started dialogue with SPPF. He took the microphone in the National Assembly on Friday 15th February 2008 and announced to the world that he was breaking dialogue with SPPF. As if he had not done enough damage already, he unashamedly and ungraciously incited the Seychellois workers to come to the streets of Victoria in droves and force the hands of President James Michel to give them more money. He pointed at the IOT workers march in Victoria recently to illustrate his point and goad everybody to do the same. This created alarm within government and prompted at least one national newspaper to accuse Ramkalawan of wanting to turn Seychelles into another Kenya. Another Member of the National Assembly accused him of political hypocrisy and demagoguery. Whilst Ramakalwan has beneﬁted ﬁnancially through politics, he will leave behind a divided political party, broken, without spirit and in disarray not worthy of trust and public conﬁdence. Annette Georges eventually saw through Ramkalawan and promptly decided to leave the party she helped found rather than be subjected to humiliation and embarrassment by a leader who is increasingly becoming more dictatorial and autocratic. For this she will always be respected and cherished by the vast majority of Seychellois people. Other like Bernard Georges, Jean-Francois Ferari and Antony Derjacques soldier on in the face of adversity, swimming the murky and troubled waters of politics. Whilst putting up a brave face in public they have been heard on more than one occasions vilifying Ramkalawan in private.

HISTORY, WILL JUDGE RAMKALAWAN FOR WHAT HE IS, what he has become and what he represents in Seychelles politics; the Villain of the piece, the rogue without moral authority, the selﬁsh mercenary concerned about the state of his own pocket rather than the welfare and well being of the nation. It is hard to say, but President James Mancham and Albert Rene were both right not to trust Ramkalawan from the start and President James Michel and Paul Chow have both found that out at their peril!