Letter to the Editor - Respecting the integrity of the people |18 December 2017

“We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much for so long with so little that we are now qualified to do anything with nothing”.

It is not from your own goods that you give to the people; it is a portion of their own that you are restoring to them. The Earth belongs to us all, so you are paying back a debt and think you are making a gift to which you are not bound.

Today, I opt to bring a revelation for the people of Seychelles. I stand to be corrected, but there will be other candidates in the next presidential election, and most probably, more than we have ever seen before! The public of Seychelles are in high regards to the leaders of our country to respect the integrity of the people, their opinions and their voting rights.

The people of Seychelles are also uttering the loudest of cries for respect to public funds and Budget allocations when it comes to Budget planning and disbursements of public monies. There should be more transparency in the Budget allotment figures and justifiable reasons for Budget allocations.

The custodians should ‘respect the integrity of the people’ when handling, managing and spending public funds as opposed to be more concerned with their personal gains at the end of the Budget year. There is another cry from the Seychellois to have a more effective and efficient Internal Audit system that can crack down on illegal spending, fraudulent acts and detect corruption just by looking at the Budget figure variances. This should place more emphasis on the ‘checks and balances’ on the management of public monies. The scrutiny and audit should convene the expectations of the people who are the major contributors to the receipts of the Budget, and that is one of the reasons why it is labelled “Public Funds’.

In this modern Seychelles, we cannot neglect or ignore the ‘Voice of the People’, their aspiration and their dreams. The NEW Seychelles leaders just cannot travel on the same path as their predecessors and still expect the respect, compassion and love from the populace. They have to earn the respect and trust of the people of Seychelles. The NEW elected president will need to strongly and firmly defend the people, defend the Constitution of Seychelles and respect the integrity of the Seychellois people.

The civilians should have the allowances to decide their differences, alliances, allegiances and on top of everything -- their future. The power lies in the hands of the people of Seychelles!

Without defying the reforms of the cohabitation period, the people should have the liberty and freedom of expression and opinions to balance the electoral process within the ‘New Seychelles’.

Whence, the opposition coming IN should be allowed to set the table for pluralistic and realistic democracy. Many will have eyes but will not see, many will have ears but will not hear – the “voice of the People” shaping the future of Seychelles in the most irrational and with much integrity and respect, compassion and love for one another in the ‘New Seychelles’.

As a Nation, we have to commit ourselves to an ‘irreversible’ process of democratisation. We have to get the “voice of the People” to underpin how we define the future, what will be the best course of action(s) for Seychelles. Do we need to extend our bilateral agreements with our neighbouring countries and international alliances? How do we curtail our economy and what will be the best practices for viable economic growths?

Yet again, there is a need for some sort of agreement around the benchmarks and the roadmap to the next election, especially around the reforms ahead that are anticipated. Only then the country and the people can be ensured that the next election will be credible, true and fair.

Preoccupation and retention of power should be depicted by the people and not by the political party in office. We need to define a future where there are no treats, hope for the people, room for individual candidates to step in on a more level playing field.

Proverbs 2:20-21 – ‘So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it.’

Professional integrity and ethical behaviour is crucial for personal credibility and professional success within the ‘New Seychelles’. Personal credibility will allow you to build effective relationships based on mutual respect and trust, delivering to deadlines and achieving results. Professional integrity means that you will operate in a professional and ethical manner within the organisation, regardless of whatever situation you're faced with. “Respect yourself and the people will then respect you”.

On the one side of our Cohabitation platform, I hear the phrase “the people’, over and over again to drum up support for political parties, candidates and decrees. We continue to preside over ‘the people’, the very same people who voted for us and our cabinet. ‘The people’ then evaporates into foggy groups of individuals with their own hopes, fears and needs… I have been down that channel.

The ‘Voice of the Nation’, the voice of ONE people – is now demanding justice and an equal share of our country’s assets and capital. Lest we pray that the concept of fair, equal and transparent distribution of wealth will reach out to even that dubious individual residing in his wooden house of the 60’s and still crying wolf…

Jacob Terence Madeleine, ACSI

Writer, National Unity Advocate

Disclaimer:

The views expressed in this letter are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Seychelles NATION newspaper.