REUNION’S REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT CONGRATULATES SEYCHELLES ON ASSUMING VANILLA ISLANDS PRESIDENCY – WITH A TWIST
(Posted 16th February 2019)
Last weekend’s Vanilla Islands’ Ministerial Meeting saw Faouzia Vitry, the Vice President of the Regional Council of Reunion Island remind the opening ceremony of the meeting that no one could talk about the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands without being reminded of Alain St.Ange, the former Tourism Minister of Seychelles who was not only one of the main personalities who helped create the regional organisation, but he was elected its First President.
The Seychelles’ former Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine was not present at the meeting – reportedly due to a lack of invitation – and this raised instant queries across the region as to the reasons for such a Faux Pas, if not outright snub.
St. Ange is in court with the Seychelles’ government over the last minute withdrawal of a letter of support for him on the eve of the UNWTO elections nearly two years ago, when a dubious unsigned letter, purportedly from the African Union head quarters in Addis Ababa, was enough for the government to leave St. Ange out in the cold. This was reported here several times in the past.
Mrs. Vitry went on to qualify that Minister Alain St.Ange was the only President of the Vanilla Islands who was invited to serve a second mandate as President of this Indian Ocean grouping called the Vanilla Islands. This privilege was at the time attributed to St. Ange’s professional acumen, eloquence and for his vision for the marketing grouping.
Last weekend it was again Seychelles who took over as President of the Vanilla islands, a position that is now assumed on a rotational basis.
Delegations from the Member States were present in Seychelles for this Ministerial Meeting and one delegation member more or less immediately raised the issue with ATCNews for follow up.
