Seychelles to vote with sovereignty, environment and drugs on agenda

The Seychelles’ elections are now open, with incumbent leader Wavel Ramkalawan hoping to win a second term in the strategically placed African archipelago.

On Thursday, polls started for some crucial workers on the remote islands. In elections that will elect a president and parliament on the three main islands, which are dominated by concerns over sovereignty, the environment, and drugs, ballot stations start on Saturday and results are expected on Sunday.

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For the 35-seat National Assembly, Ramkalawan hopes to keep a majority in his Linyon Demokratik Seselwa coalition, which will have eight presidential candidates and 125 challengers, from which about 73, 000 voters will choose.

An archipelago in the western Indian Ocean is the richest nation in Africa by population. Due to its location, China, the Gulf countries, and India are all potential investors in and cooperating with it for security.

Ramkalawan claims he wants a second five-year term to advance the tourism-dependent economy, promote social development, and promote environmental sustainability. He has steered the tourism-dependent economy through a post-pandemic recovery.

His main rival for the presidency, Patrick Herminie of the United Seychelles Party, who presided over the country from 1977 to 2020, was the party’s speaker in the National Assembly from 2007 to 2016.

Issues of importance

Voters should consider the grave narcotics crisis, environmental concerns, and sovereignty-related issues.

The archipelago is regarded as a major drug transhipment point according to a 2017 UN report. Seychelles is ranked among the nations with the highest heroin addiction rates according to the 2023 Global Organized Crime Index.

There are about 6, 000 people according to the Agency for Prevention of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation (APDAR), but analysts say addiction rates are closer to 10% of its 120, 000 population.

Critics claim that government initiatives have long failed to address the problem, particularly when Herminie, a former APDAR chairman, is in charge.

Another issue is that investment projects raise complaints about sovereignty.

A Qatari company’s long-term lease of Assumption Island to a Qatari company has been sued by activists for a luxurious hotel and airstrip.

Critics claim that the agreement favors international interests over Seychelles’ welfare and sovereignty because it affects an island close to Aldabra Atoll, a site that is part of the UNESCO heritage.

Environmental groups are urging the government to be more transparent, citing issues like dredging and harming nearby wildlife.