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Archive -Election

National Assembly election 2016 - Ballot papers arrive |01 September 2016

Ballot papers for the September 8-10 National Assembly election arrived in the country yesterday evening from South Africa where they were printed.

The printing of the ballot papers was overseen by a delegation headed by the chairman of the Electoral Commission Hendrick Gappy and included representatives from the three main political parties contesting the forthcoming election, namely Parti Lepep (PL), Seychelles Patriotic Movement (SPM), Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS) and the three independent candidates.

Parti Lepep was represented by Wilson Joseph, Seychelles Patriotic Movement by Vincent Larue, Linyon Demokratik Seselwa by Roy Fonseka, independent candidate for Anse Aux Pins Danny Sopha by Tina Pierre, independent candidate for Mont Buxton Georgie Prudence by himself and independent candidate for Au Cap Ralph Volcère by Steve Payet.

The delegation was welcomed on arrival by the chief electoral officer Joseph Athanasius.

Speaking after overseeing the unloading of the ballot papers at the Seychelles International Airport, the political parties’ representatives all expressed satisfaction with the way the printing procedures went and all the security measures were taken at the printing company in South Africa.

“I am in general very satisfied to have had the opportunity to witness the process. It’s my first experience and we witnessed all the different stages of the process which took place in great transparency,” Mr Prudence said.

For Mrs Pierre, also on her first experience, the delegation did good team work.

“I am satisfied because we all worked as a team,” she said.

“The teamwork was really good, everything was clear and everybody cooperated   to ensure we were all satisfied of the process which we all witnessed,” Mr Larue added.

Mr Joseph said: “We are all satisfied; we have successfully completed the work we had been tasked to do and now it remains for the Electoral Commission to do the rest. Security was excellent with new printing machines and we are really satisfied.”

For his part Mr Payet also confirmed that the printing process went well.

“We have successfully completed only a small part of the election process to the required standard as was requested of us and we are satisfied,” he said.

Mr Fonseka added that the printing process was a simple one and the team is satisfied, “but security matters should also be ensured from the first day voting starts”, he stressed.

For his part Mr Gappy also agreed that the process went well and he commended members of the delegation for the great team work.

He noted that the process went more smoothly and faster as the company has introduced more modern printing technologies.

“We have printed seventy-three thousand four hundred (73,400) ballot papers,”  Mr Gappy said.

This represents around 2% more than the 71,000 people eligible to vote and will   cater for any damages.

Mr Gappy said apart from the ballot papers some one and a half tonnes of other equipment required for the election will arrive in the country later this week.

Once in Seychelles, the ballot papers will be put in a safe place under strict security until the election.

 

 

 

 

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