Access to Assomption Island military facilities for India still a reality With the full backing of LDS

We are all familiar with developments in regards to the joint military facilities with India on the Assomption Island. In March 2015, an agreement between Seychelles and India was signed here in Seychelles for the first time, during a state visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This agreement never saw the light of day under President James Michel, even if Parti Lepep had an absolute majority in the National Assembly, up until September 2016. When LDS won the National Assembly elections by 15 seats to 10. The new political landscape meant that India had to cultivate the majority leader in the National Assembly for the ratification of the new agreement; signed in January 2018, between Seychelles and India, with Danny Faure as President.

The Honorable Leader of the Opposition, Wavel Ramkalawan, was subsequently on a trip to India, and he waslooked after in a way that he had never experienced before; he was treated like an Indian King (Maharaja). Judging by articles published in the Indian’s press at the time, it didn’t take the Indian Government long, to convince Ramkalawam to side with them. However, on returning to Seychelles the Honorable LOTO was met with a barrage of opposition from the natives. In the end, having realized that the people will never accept this arrangement with India, the Honorable LOTO said that, “the LDS will not ratify the agreement in its present form”. This statement left the door open for India to sugarcoat the deal, which has now been done behind closed doors.

The people of Seychelles rejoiced in the belief that the deal was dead. The people assumed that the final nail in that coffin, was when President Danny Faure, said during a live press conference (early June 2018) at State House that Assomption Island will not be on the agenda during his state visit to India and he also said that the deal was dead.



Access to Assomption Island military facilities for India still a reality

It is also important to highlight, that at the same press conference, held before the President left for India, The President had said that we will build the facilities on Assomption Island without outside assistance. Money for the project will come from the National Budget for 2019. The President had said.

President Danny Faure went to India with a begging bowl and a wish list in June, which was fully and unequivocally accepted and granted by Prime Minister Modi. The item on that list, which stood out above the rest was a grant of 100 million dollars for military spending, you would think that Seychelles is preparing to go to war. And contrary to what President Faure had said, Assomption Island came up in the discussions with Prime Minister Modi.

The Honorable Leader of Opposition, has not spoken a word about this situation and the grant (credit line) for 100million dollars. Prime Minister Modi said that India will also assist in the construction of military facilities on Assomption Island. Both, President Faure and the LOTO have not made their position clear, nationally, on the latest development for India to help with building the facilities. This new arrangement with India will not have to be ratified. It is a deal being done in obscurity between President Faure, Honorable Ramkalawan and the Indian Government.

Presently, there is no information being made available to the general public, for us (Seselwa) to back this project. The representatives of the people in the National Assembly, must not approve the budget for this project, until such time that the details are made public and the views of the people sought on the new arrangement with India. Honorable Wavel Ramkalawan, have met twice with the Indian High Commissioner for Seychelles in the last ten days (unofficially); the first meeting was on Thursday 19th July at around 6.30pm at the Four Seasons Resort according to eye witnesses, and also on Tuesday this week in Victoria. Can the LOTO provide us with the topic of discussions in the spirit of transparency? And why he is meeting in secret?

The LDS majority in the National Assembly, is not asking questions on the latest development regarding the construction of military facilities on Assomption Island. We hope it is not on the instruction of Honorable Ramkalawan. The new arrangement for Assomption Island, is a backdoor deal aimed at achieving what India had intended in the first place; a strategic military post, to monitor Chinese naval activities in the Mozambique Channel and to spy on China. It is of paramount importance, that we do not interfere in the power games between this two nuclear power. There is a very high price to be paid for this stupidity.  

Independent

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