THOUSANDS OF VOTES ALREADY CAST IN OUTER ISLANDS AND BY SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
(Posted 24th October 2020)
Seychelles’ main election day, for national assembly members and for president, has finally come although elections did officially go underway already two days ago, covering the outer islands and voting in special voting stations on the main island of Mahe.
Reports from regular sources in Victoria spoke of nearly 3.900 ballots having been cast already, though voters based on Aldabra were unable to reach their nearest voting station on the island of Assumption due to adverse weather conditions, which made the one and a half hour long trip by boat impossible.
It is understood that they will not be able to cast their votes now at all.
Voting today is taking place from 7 am to 7 pm though voters already lined up in queues will be able to cast votes until the last person arriving at the voting station by cut off time has been able to reach the ballot box.
Three candidates are standing for president this time, incumbent Danny Rollen Faure, eternal ‘runner’ Wavel Ramkawalan and former Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Marine and Ports Alain St. Ange, whose new One Seychelles party has been injecting a new viable option into the election process.
Provisional results are expected overnight from Saturday to Sunday, for national assembly constituencies across the islands and also for president, following which formal announcements from the electoral commission are expected.
This time is a presidential run off anticipated and ATCNews will report which candidates have gone through the run off vote – if necessary – once the results are available.
Seychelles, like few other nations, depends on tourism as a key pillar of economic activity and with most of the jobs across the islands on the line due to the COVID19 pandemic will those affected be most interested to see a president elected who understands their challenges and can revive the industry without endangering the lives of Seychellois by importing more cases as the country opens up again to visitors from around the world.
