Michel Said: " Judge Me By My Actions!"😂

James Michel President of Seychelles, after a hard fought election in November 2015, then a hotly contested Second Round in December, that was called by the Courts, to give him a mandate has announced he will now resign on October 16th, 2016, one month before the birthday of France Albert Rene, November 16, 2016. The move exposes a last wish for Rene as he steps up in years. It could not come at a better time for PL supporters and Opposition alike.

People Run Out in the Streets to Celebrate
Immediately after the announcement, people were out in the streets dancing, drinking, celebrating.

Michel Legacy of Half Measures
In my mind, Michel will be remembered for taking the office of the President, too lightly. He is a transitional figure, from the hard line France Albert Rene who took on a failed ideology war against the People of Seychelles, cloth his personal ambitions behind Marxist Leninist ideology when it suited him.
Michel took many half steps in his Presidency, believe he was loved by the People until late November 2016, wherein he received the shock of his career, as voters sent a resounding message to him and Le Pep: " Shape Up or We will Vote For The Priest - Millionaire". It was a horrid message, unelected by James Michel, who under estimated the Public and their holding accountability, his actions. Every step along the way, the Public was carefully assessing and "judging James Michl by his actions".

The Half Measures

Michel called for National reconciliation many times, but he reconciled only with James Mancham, who carried no clout any longer in the Opposition.

As he fraternized with Mancham, he ignored his ministers, ambassadors, MNAs who were disgruntled. This group was like magnet to steel and they joined forces under Lalysans Seselwa, formed by Ex central committee member of Michel's party, and his own ambassador.


Michel took office from frugal Rene with an external debt of $400 million after running Seychelles
From June 5, 1978- June 2004. Michel famous for the saying," THINK BIG" increased the Seychelles national debt from 2004-2006 to a whopping $860 Million. This followed a successive bond market episodes with Lehman Brothers who at one point had taken 40% ownership of the Indian Ocean Tuna Factory in Victoria, a company responsible for $400 Million turnover per annum with 1600 employees.

Michel took Seychelles into National Bankruptcy. It is ugly to say, but it is true. After August 2007, IMF stepped in October 2007 to provide assistance as Michel agreed to breach Rene's creed of " National Death over IMF any day". Under Michel, IMF has since lent And supported Seychelles another $100 Million in extended fund facilities.

While the debt under IMF administration went down from 2008 - 2014 to $ 460 Million, on the departure of Pierre Laporte a disciplined Minister of Finance, named Minister of Finance of Africa 2015, for guiding Seychelles out of a morass of financial chaos, the national external debt ballooned to where it stands today: $1 BILLION.

Business investors lacked trust in the Seychelles Rupee and perhaps most, lack of trust in James Michel. As the reforms took root, business insisted on retaining hard currency accounts. This resulted in over $360 Million being held in private company hard currency accounts. Michel retaliated with high VAT of 15 % and did not resist the IMF hurdles, to protect small struggling businesses. He increased licensed rooms, from 3400 when he took office to 13,000 today, with near 2000 bunks on near boats.in his campaign he lost perspective, went to Eden Island, sat on a catamaran, promised the Public more bare boat bunks, even though they are infamous for Price Transfer- ing Practice, that sucks money out of Seychelles, but increases wear- tear, pollution, destroys our coral and reef fish stock.

Bye Bye Aut De Gamme

Under James Michel, Seychelles went from an Aut De Gamme destination to a sub way paradise in pricing. As his Cabinet licenses houses for hotel rooms in housing estates, near fiber glass boat shops, near garages, the volume of available beds shot up, yield dropped, ( example, last year we had 10% increase in tourism arrivals, but -4 % in Yield). Room prices crashed, cost of operations shot up, leaving the Tourism Industry in a most precarious dilemma. While this helped him garner votes in 2011 with licensing 800 houses to guest houses before elections, in 2016 these voters turned on Michel, when he announced a mandatory 13 th month salary in the private sector, when these operators were hiring workers, but losing money in their business due to over saturation.

Zomn Lib Moves Down The Street

No other half measure has Michel taken the People of Seychelles for fools then the removable of Zomn Lin from Revolution Ave. to the IDC warehouse, only to re appear at the round about corner besides Maison du Peuple. While Mancham, accepted this gesture as a conciliatory act by Michel, the majority of the People took it as a gesture of presenting " Fools Gold" to the People of Seychelles.

In early 2016, while Michel boasted in the Mauritian Press that he will win the elections hands down, as no opposition exist in Seychelles, Patrick Pillay and his band of SPPF Rebels, were plotting the planting of the seeds that will befall James Michel posture of grandeur larger then Rene, larger then Mousolini, to nothing but a cigar tip of Churchill's used cigar.

Michel Does Not Correct His Blunders

The greatest failure of Michel, was his inability to be humble enough to simply correct his blunders in judgment. Instead, he elected to ignore them, move on, put on a show on SBC, opt for photos, and attempt to look Presidential, while managing the country in a chaotic manner, leaving the mess repeatable behind of Faure to deal with.

How many houses were burnt?

How many sheds burnt?

How many infringements on personal rights?

How many bank accounts seized improperly?

How many letters, emails, left unanswered?

How many requests for an appointment cast in the bins?

The Last Day Of Michel

The last day of James Michel as President of Seychelles should be looked upon as a joyous moment for all Seychellois, regardless of political party affiliation. Le Pep can rejoice, for they will be led by the person who has been running the country already. The transition will not alter your life or your position of grace as a Le Pep supporter, though other factors will. The Opposition should rejoice because it has bent the knees of a introverted dictator, who lived by the motto : " THINK BIG!......we paid for it, every step of the way.....every step. Perhaps now we will pay less.

I personally will rejoice on the departure of James Michel, he was hell bent on making my family suffer, and took it as his personal vendetta to teach me a lesson. From the demolition order to destroy my calorifer upgrade I received the Wednesday after he drove by to Anse La Blague on a Saturday in 2004, to the breaking in of the MSR office in Mahe in 2011, which he never denied involvement,  to the burning of our shed, killing of our dogs, which was never investigated....just laughed at. Oh yes, the President did not know.....of course not!

What Next?

The Nation must recompose herself. We must collect ourselves, seek common ground, attend to the issues that we face, from National Reconciliation, settling past wrongs, to day to day running of the country and of course, a united effort of all sides to address the growing debt of Seychelles which threatens the standard of living of our people, and explains why 40% of Seychellois......do live below the poverty line, though we are.....the richest country in Africa, and Eden Island Marina, makes Monacco look like a pee hole.

I trust all Seychellois will take a positive lesson from James Michel, and no leader, shall ever again, venture down the road that James Michel chose on our best to run the country.....or not to run it. Take your pick!

I remain,

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

Do Not Be Offended By My Lifetime Stance!

Christopher C. Gill