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He said he will now register the party as the New Democratic Party (NDP) and tell the electoral commissioner of the changes.

Mr Volcere was named party leader in March when he replaced Paul Chow and said he would ask the members to ratify his appointment “within six months”. On Saturday he said he had kept that promise.

He introduced himself to those who attended the meeting at the Seychelles Marketing Board’s conference room, saying he would work to give the party new impetus under the pledge: An agenda for real change.

He said he had information there was $2.5 billion held overseas by Seychellois who feared keeping it here before, and he asked companies who bank their money overseas to “ bring it to Victoria”.

“I understand some of them because at one time you would probably have been arrested for being in possession of foreign exchange, but now they should bring it here and the government should confiscate any assets got through corruption,” he said.

He said the alliance his party had with the Seychelles National Party has been broken “for many reasons”, and the NDP will field a candidate in future presidential elections in line with the party’s constitution, which was amended on Saturday.

The meeting started with individual prayers and a moment’s silence for the three Seychellois hostages still held by pirates in Somalia.
The members were told former President James Mancham, who founded the party, could not attend the meeting because he is overseas.