Council for the disabled honours Naddy Zialor |23 November 2020

People living with disabilities face multiple challenges when trying to exercise their political rights. In Seychelles rarely has a person with a disability occupied a seat in the National Assembly but with the addition of Hon. Naddy Zialor in the seventh cohort, he has now become the first disabled member of the assembly since its inception after independence.

To honour the achievement made by Mr Zialor a lunch was organised in his honour by the National Council for the Disabled (NCFD) at the Crown Beach Hotel on Saturday afternoon.

The event was attended by the President of the Republic, Wavel Ramkalawan, the Minister for Local Government and Community Affairs Rose Marie-Hoareau, the principal secretary for social affairs Linda William Melanie, among other guests and fellow members of the National Assembly.

In her address for the occasion, the chairperson of the National Council for the Disabled, Jourdane Ernesta, noted that Mr Zialor has been involved in the association since he was a child and has never let his disability define who he is.

“Naddy has used all the opportunities that were given to him and this has led him to where he is today,” she said.

She added that the disabled community should look towards Mr Zialor as an example to not let their disability limit what they can achieve in life.

The President also took the opportunity to say a few congratulatory words to Hon. Zialor.

“When you look at Naddy we see someone who is able and gifted because when we listen to him speak we can tell that he truly has a political mind,” said the President.

The head of state continued by saying that well before the election he told Mr Zialor he will make sure that he will give him a seat in the assembly as he will make an enormous contribution to Seychelles and be an ambassador for the disabled as he is well known and liked in the community.

The president also pledged to help the disabled community and the council with anything they need in the future. Walking the talk, he donated twelve wheelchairs to the association. Mr Zialor also donated one wheelchair while Hon. Richard Labrosse, elected member for Plaisance, donated two others.

For his part Hon. Zialor said he feels humbled to be the first National Assembly member with a disability and that it is not only an honour for the disabled community but for Seychelles as well.

“Seychelles needed a voice in the assembly for people with disability, it is with LDS that I have been able to achieve this and break the glass ceiling. I have been in politics for many years and have always been vocal. After endorsing the President for the election, I put my bid in to become a proportional assembly member and after the party debated they found that I was the best man for the job,” he said.

Mr Zialor added that he has always been the type of person to go out and try to make the lives of disabled people better.

“Seychelles has many policies when it comes to disabled people but there is no law for the disabled. As a member of the National Assembly I will work to make sure that equal opportunities are accessible to people with disability,” he said.

Christophe Zialor