What's happened
Patrick Herminie has been declared the winner of Seychelles' presidential runoff with 52.7% of the vote, defeating incumbent Wavel Ramkalawan. Herminie, representing United Seychelles, promises to address economic issues, environmental concerns, and social reforms. The election followed a closely contested campaign focused on development and sovereignty.
What's behind the headline?
The Seychelles election underscores a return to the political dominance of Herminie’s United Seychelles, which governed from 1977 to 2020. His victory signals voter dissatisfaction with Ramkalawan’s management, especially on environmental and social issues. The campaign’s focus on controversial land leases and environmental preservation highlights Seychelles’ vulnerability to climate change and external economic pressures. Herminie’s promises to cancel a luxury hotel project and address drug addiction reflect a shift towards prioritizing sovereignty and social welfare. The election’s outcome will likely influence Seychelles’ environmental policies and its international relations, especially with China and India. The political stability gained from Herminie’s win may bolster efforts to combat climate threats and social crises, but ongoing legal and environmental disputes could challenge his administration’s effectiveness.
What the papers say
Al Jazeera emphasizes Herminie’s victory as a full return to power for United Seychelles, highlighting his promises to lower living costs and address corruption. The Independent notes the election was a runoff after no candidate secured a majority in the first round, with key issues including the controversial land lease to a Qatari company and the drug crisis. Bloomberg focuses on Herminie’s background, including his previous role as speaker and his arrest in 2023, framing his win as a significant political turnaround. All sources agree that the election was closely fought, with environmental and social issues at the forefront, and Herminie’s victory consolidates his party’s control over Seychelles’ government.
How we got here
Herminie, a physician and former speaker of Seychelles' parliament, previously headed the anti-drug agency and was arrested in 2023 on witchcraft charges that were later dropped. The election was a contest between Herminie’s United Seychelles and Ramkalawan’s ruling party, with key issues including environmental protection, drug addiction, and economic recovery post-COVID-19. The country’s political landscape shifted after Herminie’s party regained power in parliament last month, ending a period of opposition rule.
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Wavel Ramkalawan is a Seychellois politician and Anglican priest who has been serving as the President of the Republic of Seychelles since 26 October 2020. Ramkalawan was an opposition MP from 1993 to 2011 and 2016 to 2020. He also served as the Leader of
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Patrick Herminie is a Seychellois politician who served as the Speaker of the National Assembly of Seychelles from 2007 to 2016. He was first elected to the Assembly in 1993 and served as the Leader of Government Business from 1998 to 2003.
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Seychelles, officially the Republic of Seychelles, is an archipelagic island country in the Indian Ocean at the eastern edge of the Somali Sea. The country consists of 115 islands. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, lies 1,500 kilometres east of main
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Linyon Demokratik Seselwa is a liberal political coalition which has governed since 2016 in the Seychelles. They have 25 seats in the National Assembly.