Ballot paper order, TV broadcast dates decided |07 July 2006

Electoral Commissioner, Hendrick Gappy, also oversaw the drawing of lots to determine the order in which the candidates will appear during the opening and closing televised broadcasts.

The ballot paper will have the Seychelles People’s Progressive Front’s (SPPF) James Michel on the top, independent candidate Philippe Boulle in the middle and the Seychelles National Party’s (SNP) Wavel Ramkalawan at the bottom.

The draw for the candidates’ first and last 26-minute election broadcasts was made using table-tennis balls bearing the names SNP, SPPF and IND, drawn out of a brown envelope to decide on the running order.

The first Party Political Broadcast (PPB) will be for the SNP on Monday, July 10, followed by the SPPF on Tuesday, July 11, and the independent candidate on Wednesday, July 12.

All of the closing broadcasts will be transmitted on the same day, Sunday, July 23, with SNP first, the independent candidate second and SPPF third.

“As per the Electoral Act on broadcasting, lots are drawn for the opening and closing of PPBs and the design of ballot papers,” said Mr Gappy before the candidates’ representatives reached into the brown envelope to decide on the order.

In addition to the 26-minute opening and closing broadcasts, each candidate will be able to broadcast one 52-minute open programme, 18 TV campaign spots, 54 radio campaign spots, 18 TV infomercials, 36 radio infomercials and 3 radio and TV “thank you” messages.

The Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) has put rules in place to govern the spacing of the various broadcasts to prevent, for example, all 18 TV campaign spots being used on the last day of the campaign.

The next step on the election preparation process will see Mr Gappy travel to Singapore on July 16, accompanied by representatives of the candidates, to collect the printed ballot papers.
The three candidates were represented Thursday by Bernard Georges (SNP), Marie-Louise Potter (SPPF) and Henry Naiken (independent).

Mr Gappy said that the Electoral Commission is “checking the resources” such as water and electricity supplies to the polling stations and that preparations are on schedule.