SEYCHELLES REALITY

Former Seychelles President James Alix Michel has called on island states of the Pacific Ocean to follow the Seychelles example and bring the Blue Economy to the centre of Government, work with neighbouring islands, adopt innovative financing mechanisms and marine spatial planning tools. Mr. Michel delivered a keynote address at the 1st High-Level Pacific Blue Economy Conference (PBEC) under the theme ‘Sustainable Oceans in a Changing Climate’ organised by the Pacific Islands Development Forum in Suva Fiji on 23rd and 24th August 2017. The conference is being held in conjunction with the PIDF Biennial Conference. “We look anxiously at the threat posed by rising sea levels, but we also see the enormous potential of what the sea can offer.  No human being is more respectful of the sea than islanders like us, no human being has a keener sense of what is needed.  The sea holds the key to our future and, as such, island societies are flag-bearers of human development. ...

The editor of this newspaper has a case before the Constitutional Court in regards to the composition of the CAA Board. We believe that an engine cannot be repaired using old spare parts. We consider the appointment of Mr. Shelton Jolicoeur and Ms Simone Decomarmond (especially) to the Board of the CAA as an error of judgment and totally in contravention to the laws that provide for the creation of the authority and cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. We are publishing a letter here to illustrate part of our ‘raison-d’être’ for filing the petition. In the letter it is clear that Shelton Jolicoeur was seeking guidance and/or approval of the President on how to deal with a matter before him. This is totally unacceptable. It shows clearly that the CAA in its present state is determine to salvage the career of Justice Duraikannu Karunakaran – irrelevant of any evidence of wrong doing against him. This we believe is a major conflict of interest by the CAA. Jolicoeur even suggeste...

The pub that is now the National Assembly Ever since Pat Pillay has taken over the Speakership, the National Assembly has been on a steady decline towards chaos. Pat Pillay has been unable to properly manage time, adhere to the rules and regulations of the Assembly and many of his decisions have been unconstitutional. Almost eleven months have elapsed, and Pat Pillay still has no command of his Standing orders and Rules and Procedures. Week in, week out, the National Assembly has been the butt of ridicule and by consensus is now a national embarrassment. As if all these were not enough, the Assembly has lately resorted to hosting a happy hour every Friday evening. The happy hour inevitably became happy hours. Alcohol is in abundance and is even sold on the precinct of that prestigious institution. Members and some staff alike drink away the night with songs and music. Ahmed Afif, the former Principal Secretary for Finance, who failed to exercise proper financial checks and bal...

The Honorable Speaker of the National Assembly is a man in a hurry; he can’t wait for 2020, he wants to be President tomorrow, which might never come for him. It is now clear that the Leader of ‘Lalyans Seselwa’ was behind the question about the presidential election that Joanna Nicette asked during the live press interview with President Danny Faure on Wednesday 16th, August. The President replied emphatically that there will be no presidential election until the end of his mandate. And this statement by President Faure has clearly angered Patrick Pillay, who had hoped for a better answer from the President, to the point that a botched up plan was quickly put together to try and force the hand of the President. On Monday 21st, Patrick Pillay got his barber and now personal friend; a man he has gotten very close to, in the last few months - to stage a one man protest in Victoria. The protest continued the next day on Tuesday and this time, Ryan Moncherry was joined by Patrick Pillay ...

Who is benefiting from their Departure? The Irish expatriates working in law enforcement had their budgets cut by the National Assembly because they were achieving unprecedented levels of success in stopping criminals, and their facilitators, from benefiting through crimes and the international facilitation of crime.  Under the administration of President James Michel, the rule of law could be enforced as he would tolerate no interference with due process. But once he was gone, the old political dogs reverted to old tricks in a weakened political environment and the Irish, who were well-known to refuse to entertain interference with investigations, had to go. In fact members from both sides wanted the Irish out; their well-publicised National Assembly vendetta and campaign of incitement against the Irish was launched to smear them because: 1. They were intercepting too much heroin being imported into Seychelles. In 2015 the NDEA stopped a total of 39 kg of heroin from be...

Giving a person appointed to such an important position such as that of Ombudsman needs a certain benefit of the doubt.  Whilst concerns were raised about the “fitness to hold office” no process was in place to give ordinary members of the public access to the organs of appointment. A remedy could be making the appointment process more transparent by publishing the shortlisted candidates and secondly also allowing members of the National Assembly to interview the candidates. All of the above come almost a year after the appointment of the current ombudsman with public criticisms by the more vulnerable members of our society not being given the due recourse to equality and justice. Such concerns hinge around the constitutional mandate of the ombudsman and whether this is being done with procedural fairness.  Whilst the veracity and rationality of the criticisms cannot be established, it leaves concern of how such criticism can be avoided in the future. Another issue r...

The former President will leave Seychelles this week to attend the 1st High-Level Pacific Blue Economy Conference (PBEC) under the theme ‘Sustainable Oceans in a Changing Climate’ organised by the Pacific Islands Development Forum to be held in Suva Fiji on 23rd and 24th August 2017. The conference is being held in conjunction with the PIDF Biennial Conference. President Michel has been invited as a keynote speaker by the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands and the Chair of the Pacific Islands Development Forum, Hon. Manasseh D. Sogavare MP, in order to share his understanding of the development of the Blue Economy concept and the Seychelles’ experience for the benefit of Pacific island countries. In his letter of invitation to President Michel, Prime Minster Manasseh Sagavare said: “We believe that your commitment to the development of the Blue Economy is unparalleled and your participation as a speaker to this conference will be of great benefits to the Pacific Island Countri...