ELECTIONS ARE IMMINENT, CAMPAIGNS END
The long awaited general election is now imminent in the Seychelles, due to commence on the 29th September and ending on the 01st October. The campaign, almost invisible for tourists staying on the islands except for the party posters, has now drawn to an end as there is a mandatory cooling off period prescribed for the last two days before elections commence, giving the electorate the opportunity to weigh the arguments and promises made in relative calm before then going to cast their votes.
Inspite of the withdrawal of the main opposition party SNP will a two horse race unfold during election days as the ruling Party LEPEP is faced with a new opposition group, the Popular Democratic Movement party of former SNP member David Pierre, who has inspite of the short time he had fielded candidates in all constituencies across the islands.
This is the first election under the recently constituted Electoral Commission, a departure from past elections when an Electoral Commissioner was solely responsible for the organization and oversight of the democratic process. Watch this space on 02nd of October to get the drift of the results and who will dominate the parliaments of the Seychelles for the next couple of years.
Meanwhile though has it been confirmed by two friends of this correspondent currently vacationing on the island of Mahe, that indeed the last few days of the campaign have been entirely peaceful and that by and large tourists in fact have little idea of a general election taking place within days now, as life on the Creole Island Paradise continues like normal, to quote part of an email from one of them. Seychelles truly Another World.
