Troukler

Setting the record straight!

Wednesday, November 14, I read in ‘The People’, sorry the Seychelles Nation - there is hardly any difference between the two these days since the change in editorship - a contributed article under the heading “Michelism’s here". Michelism a word first coined locally by this newspaper is now being prostituted by every Tom, Dick and Sausage. Admittedly it is accepted that the word is in fact public property, but, it is very important for it not to be used out of context, therefore demeaning the man whose legacy it will represent.

For the sake of clarity and identification we will refer thereafter to the writer of this particular article “Michelism’s here” in the SN on Wednesday as ‘The Fool’. The Fool started his article by stating that there is a feeling of healing within the Seychellois family following the publication of the report of the Inquiry into the events in Victoria on October 3, 2006. This is the biggest rubbish I have ever come across in years. The wound on the heads of Wavel and Jean Francois might have healed. Unfortunately it will take a lot more than publishing a report to repair the division and damages through the atrocities and maltreatment the SPPF under Rene and now Michel have caused to the people of this country.

In the second paragraph of the article ‘The Fool’ wrote that political leaders, all welcomed the report. I don’t know who you have been talking to, but that certainly is not the case. Judge Michael Reilly has fallen short of public expectation. This column predicted that he would sit on the fence and he did just that. Judge Reilly has fallen flat on his backside. In making the report public the fence has given way under the barricade of criticism it has received so far. ‘The Fool’ went on to say in the following paragraph, third, that President James Michel was not in Seychelles on October 3, 2006. And that on his return he received full details of the illegal gathering and heavy-handed police intervention. But, the Fool stopped short from telling us what Mr. Michel pronounced on stepping down on the tarmac at the Pointe Larue International on his return. He praised his Police Force for the way they dealt with the supposedly illegal assembly and the heavy-handedness of the officers. Mr. Michel, if he is honest with himself, must retract the statement he made on arrival. President Michel is guilty of pronouncing a verdict without having the correct information in hand, or probably he had the information, but acted in bad faith. Something not expected from an astute political leader and the President of all the people.

Through the article ‘The Fool’ portrays President Michel in very good light; I am not disputing that he is not a reasonable man, it is high time he starts applying this reasonableness for all in society to benefit not just the little ‘click’ of old. In his conclusion ‘The Fool’ expressed his desire that we should all look forward to continued peace and stability in our beautiful country. Ours is a very small country where all roads pass through Victoria, where we enjoy living like one big family, where visitors like to come to rest. This is the wish, I am sure, of most Seychellois, apart from a few in the SPPF who have been making our life hell for the last thirty-one years. I am sure ‘The Fool’ does not form part of this little gang….