ELECTIONS ON COURSE AS COURT GOES ON VACATION
Unlike after the first dissolution of parliament, when the Seychelles Constitutional Court almost immediately sat and passed judgment on the suit brought by the opposition SNP, ordering parliament to be restored as the resolution for dissolution had lacked in format, the same court no longer saw the urgency of the second case brought, after parliament in observing the required notice format again dissolved itself.
While clearly no indicator of what the court after the summer vacation will eventually decide, it is still a dead giveaway that, instead of considering the matter as equally urgent court went ahead with the planned summer break, letting the process of holding elections go ahead until it will eventually hear the new case in September. Under relevant laws the Seychelles must hold parliamentary elections within 90 days following a vote to dissolve parliament and it will be some time in October that a general elections must now be held, subject to the Constitutional Courts final decision that is. However, political observers from the archipelago are convinced that having decided to take the scheduled vacation the court has knowingly let the preparations for elections go ahead and is now not considered likely to stand in the way when deciding the case before them in September.
That spells almost doom for the SNP opposition which following the re-election of President Michel in the May Presidential election had decided to abrogate their duties and boycott parliament and political cooperation, eventually resulting in their leader throwing in the towel and declaring he would no longer seek nomination for any election, presidential or otherwise. SNP is now under considerable pressure to elect a successor for Mr. Wavel, whose glaring absence already from the announcement of the presidential election results had set him on collision course with his own electorate, many of whom in fact complained to this correspondent the morning after the results were announced, why their own candidate had chosen to go AWOL.
Follow this column for updates towards the forthcoming general election in the Seychelles, which in line with recent political developments is expected to be peaceful and without incidents, considering that a new dawn has broken for the country through President Michel’s inclusive leadership style – not reciprocated though by the opposition MP’s who will now have a fight for their political life at hand to regain their seats.
Watch this space.
