Letter to the Editor - Is Seychelles big enough for local government elections? |07 July 2015

If my understanding is correct it is the intention of President James Michel’s government to propose to the National Assembly shortly a new Bill on District Administration which will provide for every district to have a District Council directly elected by the residents of the district.

I am not personally convinced that this is conducive to stability and the national interest. In fact it will perpetuate and encourage the prevalence at all time of a climate of “unsettledness” promoted by partisan politics at community level.

I believe that taking into account the size of Seychelles, having a National Assembly where the members are elected for each district should be sufficient to satisfy the overall democratic requirement of good governance. The scenario otherwise would be as follows: we will hardly have gone through the process of a Presidential and National Assembly elections on partisan basis to find ourselves facing District Council election. In creating district councils, we must not overlook the problem which can result with Mr John of a party being elected to legislative council for a district but Mr Jack of another party being elected to the District Council of the same district.

Then you cannot overlook the fact that occasions could continually arise for bi-elections because someone has resigned, died, or for other reasons. In this case we will be perpetuating a situation where the nation will always be in an atmosphere of partisan division as different parties contest for position for the National Assembly and position on the District Council.

I am putting forward these points, in good faith, against the background of my experience when we had an elected Victoria District Council and other elected district councils. I think it is because Mr France Albert Rene saw the situation as I did that we agreed to abolish district councils at the time of the emergence of active partisan politics.

Just consider the possible scenario of the Victoria District Council falling under the control of a party whose politics is adverse to that of State House. Food for thought!

James R. Mancham
Founding President of Seychelles