Presidential Elections: Understanding the Chaos!

(Dateline Seychelles) The candidates for the Seychelles Presidential Elections due to take place December 3,4,5 have filed their nomination papers. A inside look at the candidates and what they are all about.

Boulle - Rosalie Team

This team is made up of lawyer Philip Boulle who has stand for elections every time since 1992, as an Independent candidate. Boulle is a successful offshore lawyer who retains an unshaking aloofness.  He is known for hiring political help to buttress him, keeps the contracts short term to keep cost down and refused over the years to form a political party. He has preferred instead, to manipulate parties from the back ground at times.

Peter Rosalie is a accountant and former councillor of Seychelles Chamber of Commerce. He is a former member of SNP, and represents in part the fall out in SNP. Rosalie is perceived to be a person of high integrity, with political potential.

Amesbury- Fonseka Team

Alexia Amesbury is the first woman Presidential Candidate. She is a tough defender of persons charged with crimes,smart lady who is easy to under estimate on first impression. Speak to her, the lady is just simply sharp and a living testament to what people can become when they remain focused. She lacks political experience, but has a big heart for Justice, fairness and individual rights.

Roy Fonseka is a ex- British Army Hero decorated. He has been James. Mancham's top dog in security affairs and has enjoyed a lucrative security contract from State House for years,to protect the former President, who has endorsed James Michel early this year.

Michel- Faure

Michel has amended the constitution to allow him to stand another term. He seems to misunderstand the key provisions of " 3 terms- 5 years, as he took over from Rene in 2004.
He seems to think this did not count and used his super majority in the National Assembly to amend the Constitution. The Commonwealth is outraged over this, it is likely they do not monitor the elections. Michel took the country into Bankruptcy in 2007 and he has adopted an IMF program and his government is bound strictly to implementing an IMF program of Reform. Hence all the austerity in the country.

Danny Faure is his running mate, a solid administrator regardless of his critics. He is the glue that keeps PL together for what it is, and potentially the only person who can rebuild PL after the major fallout with PL Pillay clan. Where this dice rolls, is the biggest question in Seychelles right now.

Ramkalawan- Mancienne

Ramkalawan is the Priest- Millionaire we have been writing about for years. He is his own worse enemy, displaying tantrums of arrogance from time to time, to the point that his arrogance is now destroying his political viability. He has lost all momentum, has had to re invent himself after a dormant 4 years. His manifesto says the No. 1 problem in Seychelles is drugs not corruption and victimization. I wonder how the drugs get into the country? A third place finish for Ramkalawan would do  Seychelles well. We can remove this scourge of narcissism and arrogance from the opposition camp that causes it to lose big in every election.

Mancienne is an ex Editor And ex teacher. He lacks any political persona. If he has been picked to run with Ramkalawan, it is because no one else would be willing to go through the torture again. Mancienne is always willing to slog it out. In the last election SNP sent him to Mont Buxton. He went.

Pillay- Afif

Ex SPPF stalwarts who have taken a political fever and uprising to the people. Pillay was attack by CID and threaten with a human Trafficking charge last month. This conspiracy backed fired and the heart of the country poured out to this former teacher, former administrator, ex minister, ex ambassador. Seychellois do not like seeing their own openly victimized. Pillay speaks with heavy emotions and captures his audience. He will be a force to be reckon with as Ramkalawan tumbles in the jungle of the next next three weeks.

Ahmed Afif is an inside man of SPPF turned against a system he calls " very corrupted". Afif had a popular radio show on pure FM, before he was kicked out for being too popular with the public. As the saying goes: " be weary when you steal the thunder of the King". As an economist, he has managed the IMF Reform Plan in early years, run Air Seychelles as a Director and nouvobanq. What made him irate was the fuss over forming " Seychelles Airlines".
He is capable and hard working. The parting of Pillay and Afif from PL has been very bitter. In fact, on both sides, it has become an energy unto itself.

Perhaps this is the best time to appeal to all players to see how we can seek common ground to move Seychelles forward, instead of holding her hostage over our divisions and petty squabbles buried and rooted in the past.

When you vote, vote for what is best for Seychelles future!

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom loving Seychellois!