Reactions to establishment of Regional Councils |16 July 2018
Following the official launch on Friday of the regional councils, there have been mixed reactions from several quarters. While the LDS (Linyon Demokratik Seselwa) has welcomed the opportunity for the party “to participate directly in district affairs”, both the Citizens Engagement Platform Seychelles (Ceps) and the Association for Rights, Information and Democracy (Arid) have said that they are “against the process of nomination of councillors for the regional district councils”.
For its part, the Lalyans Seselwa has said it supports the stance taken by Ceps, noting that as it (regional council) will be a civil service job, the requirements and conditions cannot be met through political affiliation.
Seychelles NATION brings you the full reactions from these parties and bodies.
‘A new opportunity to engage in public affairs,” says LDS
“The engagement of LDS on the Regional Councils will enable us to participate in district affairs and in the work of the District Administration offices. This will allow us to deal more directly with the problems and concerns at the local level and make the district administration more responsive and impartial.
“The Regional Councils will be our first engagement in Local Government. It will be part of our system of government and as such it is appropriate that it is the political parties which represent the people which have this responsibility.
“Local government is, in democratic countries, normally set up as part of the electoral process and we expect that this will be the case in our system. The present Councils are also based on an electoral process because they are based on the results on the National Assembly elections of 2016. The allocation of seats on the Councils are in proportion of the votes cast in those elections.
“LDS agreed for the Regional Councils to be based on the previous election because of its concerns for the financial burden of a new election solely for this purpose.
“The two political parties involved received 99% of the eligible votes and therefore have the endorsement of the people. The third political party and the independent candidates which stood in that election carried no more than 1% of the votes and therefore would not qualify by democratic standards to be part of Local Government.
“The representatives of LDS on the Regional Councils will be open to all citizens and residents in their region. They will be sensitive to all district concerns without political consideration and will seek to serve all equally with fairness.
“We value the role that civil society can play in national affairs and we believe that they can interact with the Regional Councils as they choose on matters concerning their area of involvement.
“The district administration offices in the past have been perceived as being politically affiliated in their work even to the extent of its officers taking part in political campaigning. With the creation of the Regional Councils as their supervisory bodies, we aim that this will change and that the district administration will work more independently and impartially.
“We also aim that all financial resources allocated to the districts will be utilised properly for the purposes for which they are intended and completely accounted for.
“LDS looks forward to this new opportunity to engage in public affairs and counts on the support of the people of Seychelles for each Regional Council to be an effective body to serve their interests.”
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‘Councillors should be elected not appointed,’ says Arid
“The Association for Rights, Information and Democracy (Arid) is against the decision to nominate as well as the process of nomination of councillors for the regional district council based on the principles of democracy, transparency and most importantly the rights of citizens to participate in public affairs and the right of citizens to elect their representatives.
“We support the decision to have regional councils instead of district councils (as a pilot project) and we believe that this will give citizens the opportunity to partake in the development of their districts at regional level. However, we are totally against the main political parties nominating and appointing members of the regional councils. We are of the firm opinion that the regional councils should be non-political and non-partisan. The citizens should be given the right and freedom to elect their representatives to sit on the regional councils. We have many engaged citizens, civic and religious leaders, professionals and even youths who are not interested in politics but are willing to work for the betterment of their districts hence they should be given the opportunity to stand and be elected on the regional councils. This will give the councils more credibility, legitimacy and integrity rather than having members being appointed by politicians. Having elected members on the council is also in line with the values of transparency, democracy and good governance.
“Arid is therefore calling on the President and the leaders of the National Assembly to reconsider their position and to organise local elections for the regional councils.
“This is an opportunity to allow citizens to serve their fellow brothers and sisters as councillors and not as politicians and Arid is calling on citizens to join us in advocating for elected councillors and not appointed members to sit on the regional councils.”
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Sa konsey i enn ki pirman politize -- Ceps
“Swivan lenformasyon ki Ceps in resevwar atraver en prezantasyon par Minister Gouvernman Lokal lo Konsey Rezyonnal (Regional Council) ki ti lanse ofisyelman Vandredi le 13 Zilyet 2018, Ceps i oule eksprim son konsern ek dezapwentman lo sa nouvo striktir gouvernans distrik ki pe ganny entrodwir.
“Gouvernman in piblikman rekonnet Ceps konman sa trwazyenm pilye dan devlopman nasyonal ki zwe en rol kle pour promouvwar partisipasyon sitwayen atraver bann prensip demokratik.
“Ceps i konnen ki demars pour etabli sa Konsey Rezyonnal i an rezilta en lagreman ant sa de parti politik ki dan Lasanble Nasyonal. Ceps i santi ki sa lapros pa anliny avek bann prensip lademokrasi ki enkli partisipasyon sitwayen, egalite dan loportinite, latransparans, rann kont, respe pour drwa imen, sistenm miltiparti, separasyon pouvwar, zis pour nonm enn de.
“Local Government Act 2015 i fer provizyon pour etablir Konsey Distrik (District Council) atraver eleksyon dan sak distrik.
“An Act to provide for the establishment of a District Council in each district in order to enable the citizens to participate in the governance and development of the district”.
“Me nou vwar en kontradiksyon, kot selman sa de parti politik ki ganny reprezante dan Lasanble Nasyonal ki’n nomin reprezantan pour vin lo sa Konsey Rezyonnal.
“Ceps i konpran klerman bann lenplikasyon finansyel ki asosye avek eleksyon, si ti pour fer dan tou distrik. Me Ceps i vreman konsernen ki bann endividi, ki pa direkteman asosye avek sa de parti politik pa pe ganny sans egzers zot drwa pour direkteman partisip dan gouvernans pei, anliny avek Lartik 24 Konstitisyon. Ceps i santi ki konsiltasyon lo Konsey Rezyonnal (Regional Councils) pa’n ganny fer. Konsiltasyon ki ti ganny fer lannen pase ti lo Konsey Distrik (District Council). Ceps i konsernen ki:
“1. Sa lagreman (MoU) ki egziste ant Ceps ek gouvernman pa’n ganny respekte, lefe ki sosyete sivil pa’n ganny enkli e konsilte dan sa prosesis;
2. Sitwayen pa’n ganny sifizaman konsilte;
3. Napa loportinite pour bann dimoun ki ti a kontan debout konman en manm sa konsey;
4. Bann konseye in ganny selekte par zis de parti politik, LDS ek Parti Lepep ;
5. Sa Konsey Rezyonnal pa anliny avek Local Government Act 2015
6. Sa prosedir pa’n enn ki demokratik, i mank latransparans e napa ase lenformasyon ki’n ganny donnen avek piblik an zeneral
7. Napa okenn lanons ofisyel ki’n ganny fer lo size dat eleksyon pour sa Konsey Rezyonnal.
“An konklizyon, Ceps i santi ki sa Konsey Rezyonnal i enn ki pirman politize. Dan sa konteks, Ceps i demann gouvernman pour …. asire ki konsiltasyon i ganny fer ek tou lenstitisyon kle. Ceps i osi lans en lapel ek tou sitwayen pour defann bann prensip bonn gouvernans e pa aksepte sa Konsey Rezyonnal ki annan reprezantan zis de parti politik.”
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‘Actual set up will encourage a return to divisional and political consideration,’ says Lalyans Seselwa
“Lalyans Seselwa fully supports the position taken by Ceps (Citizens Engagement Platform Seychelles) in relation to the launch of the regional councils. Lalyans Seselwa firmly believes that as it will be a civil service job, the requirements and conditions cannot be met through political affiliation.
“The decision to have representation on the council decided by the two political parties in the National Assembly, goes against the spirit of inclusive development, where each and every individual has the opportunity to contribute towards the country’s progress. It goes against the very spirit of the Constitution of Seychelles.
“For many citizens, the only political activity they ever undertake is voting and they never divulge who they voted for. The councils as they are being set up now, will violate that sacrosanct right to a secret vote; because unless Parti Lepep or LDS can identify your political colour, you stand practically no chance of becoming a member of the council! This despite the fact that you want, and, or, are well qualified and able to deliver on the job.
“Lalyans Seselwa believes that the actual set up will in fact encourage a return to divisional and political consideration and selectivity in the administration of the affairs of the state; which goes against the very essence of a pluralistic democracy.
“Lalyans Seselwa believes every citizen should be able to freely exercise his right to actively participate in the nation’s affairs without fear of political prejudice. We insist that membership to the council should be decided by application and interview of possible candidates by a panel of qualified cross sector representation.
“Lalyans Seselwa maintains that the councils should be at district level and not regional, so that community programmes can be better implemented and monitored and the outreach can be as far as to the grass roots level.
“Lalyans Seselwa will support initiatives taken by the civil society in this matter.”