2011 National Assembly election-Voting underway |30 September 2011

Besides special stations at English River and Praslin for essential services staff, there was another at the North East Point regional old people's home and for its residents and for patients from the North East Point hospital.

President James Michel yesterday visited both the North East Point station and the one at English River.

Among the other places where voting took place yesterday was Silhouette, where a total 122 voters, including a fair percentage from the Inner Islands electoral area, cast their votes.

The voting at Silhouette took place in the presence of representatives of both political parties contesting -- Wilson Joseph for Parti Lepep and Maxime Figaro for the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM). The Inner Islands’ Parti Lepep candidate, Chantal Ghislain, was also present.

There were also observers from the SADC and La Francophonie-Commission de l’Ocean Indien delegations, as well as from the local group Citizens Democracy Watch.

The number of people who voted on Silhouette compares to a total 188 voters who cast ballots in the presidential election last May.

However, 25 other voters from North Island, who were scheduled to vote at the station, could not do so, arriving too late, after it had closed at 1pm. (see separate story below).

Meanwhile voting on the outer islands continue today at Ile aux Vaches (9am to 10am), Ile Denis (11am to 12 noon), Fregate (2pm to 3.30pm), Farquar (2.45pm to 3.30pm), Darros (9.30am to 11am) and Assumption (11am to 11.30am).

On the main polling day tomorrow, all voting stations on Mahe, Praslin and La Digue will open from 7am to 7pm and will be as follows: Anse aux Pins (school dining hall); Anse Boileau (community centre); Au Cap (school dining hall); Anse Etoile (community centre); Anse Royale (community centre); Bel Air (Bel Eau school dining hall); Baie Lazare (school dining hall);
Baie Ste Anne (primary school); Beau Vallon (community centre); Bel Ombre (community centre); Cascade (community centre); English River (School Meal Centre); Glacis (community centre); Grand Anse Mahe (primary school dining hall); Grand Anse Praslin (community centre); La Digue & Inner Islands (La Digue District Administration Office); Les Mamelles (community centre);
 Mont Buxton (Happy Youth Club); Mont Fleuri (secondary school hall); Plaisance (primary school dining hall); Port Glaud (community centre); Pointe Larue (primary school dining hall); Roche Caiman (community centre); St Louis (Belonie school -ex-St John Bosco); Takamaka (community centre).

There will also be a special voting station tomorrow at the Exhibition Wing of the National Library which will open from 7am to 12 noon for voters registered in electoral areas of Praslin and Inner Islands but who would be present on Mahe.