‘May God Almighty bless this time of election’-My dear brothers and sisters in Christ greetings. |07 May 2011

You are all aware that the election will take place on May 19, 20 and 21, 2011. As your bishop, I am not here to ask you to vote in favour of a candidate or another one but it is my duty to encourage you to vote. As a Church planted in our society, we are encouraging a reflection around this presidential election, thus this letter.

I.                    Electoral choice in a difficult context

At this time as we enter into the election campaign period, as the living Body of Christ, the Church, we are called to reflect seriously on the choice that we have to make.

We, in a small country, are blessed in various ways by the Lord and we have not been very good steward of the blessings.  We can see around us, within these past years, and to be more precise these past months, that the social ills of our beloved country are on the rise, and it is very alarming.  Where did we go wrong?  What can we do differently?  What has happened to our morality?  Are we still considering this country a Christian one?  The number of people living with HIV and Aids has increased drastically, use of drugs is up on the peak of the hill, spouses are taking each other’s life, our youth is engaging in prostitution in ways never seen before, parents have given up on their children who are on the streets, and it is a threat for future generations. With all these and more, the politicians are coming with their promises as usual; but do they have solutions to all that?  Have they sought and engaged with God for guidance, inspiration and wisdom or are they coming with their own personal agendas? 

Brothers and sisters, this is one major question that we have to consider as we proceed into this wonderful privilege in choosing the leader of this land.  Yes, our right to vote is a blessing that we use to contribute towards the future leadership of our land but are we ready and willing to let God guide us in such decision?

Members of the army and police forces, we call upon you to exercise your duty with respect in acknowledging the people’s liberties and rights.  Ensure that as you proceed with such tough tasks, you

·         do not use ‘unlawful means’

·         do not deny the rights of peaceable assembly and freedom of speech based on political beliefs

·         do not violate your own human rights as citizens of this land

·         ensure the security of all, whatever political belief one has

To the presidential candidates, the Church request respectfully that you

·         do not violate your human rights and that of your opponents

·         seek the guidance and wisdom of God, as you proceed to address the public

·         refrain from using offensive words to attack your opponents on a personal level

·         do not curse our land because you will have to bear the consequences of it whether you win or not

·         surrender your plans, visions, our people and this land to God daily

·         speak words of blessing to each other, whether publicly or privately

II.                  The importance of our vote

In our lives we make decisions which have immediate, short term or long term implications.

The process of casting our vote is quick. We take on average less than one minute in the voting booth. However, making the decision of who to vote for requires reflection. We need to be serious and wise before we go to the voting stations.

Once we have voted we are unable to revoke it. We cannot cancel that decision. We live with the consequences until the next election. 

It is therefore imperative that we exercise our fundamental right to vote with a clear conscience, under no threat and without fear of suppression and intimidation.  We should not allow anyone to put us in a situation where we are uncomfortable.

Our vote is important because it is an expression that we value our earthly citizenship. It is expressing our support or preference for the way we want the country to be governed.

Christian values contribute immensely and positively to make a better society. Our vote is a stamp certifying our desire for a society to be built on rock rather than on sand.

Our vote is a reminder that high moral values are expected from those who want to be elected to high office. It is a means of expressing our condemnation of all that is evil and a proclamation that good shall prevail. It is our judgment of right and wrong. Our conscience must be clear.

Casting our vote contributes to a free and fair and just election. When we stay away from voting, in a sense we lose our right to be full citizens. Consequently, we cannot complain of the outcome.

Likewise, all authority comes from God.  Augustine (354-430AD), an Early Church Father argued that “those who are citizens of God’s kingdom are best equipped to be citizens of the kingdom of man.”

Finally, as we strive for high ethical and moral conduct before, during and after the election, our vote is a measure of how credible the election is.  By electing someone, we are choosing a person with credibility and high standard. We are putting our trust in a man to make decisions for the country. We seek a person who is pure and blameless.

This is an important time in our life. We are making a decision which will impact on our future. Do it right and proper.

III.                The importance of the proposed programmes

One of the common agendas at every election for all political parties is a manifesto. Politicians use it to express their vision and action plans. 

It is important that voters know that the choice to vote for one candidate and its party, depends on the choice of programmes.  

The programmes should include policies, plans, strategies and tactics which politicians think and believe are good to govern the country; hence voters know what they are voting for. 

Political parties through their respective candidates must explain their programmes and plans clearly and without ambiguity to all voters.

It is important for voters  to appreciate, assess and analyse a party’s political manifesto to understand the position the party is taking in terms of issues that not only serve their interest but also the nation’s interest on a larger scale.

Candidates should be given the opportunity to debate on their programmes:  the differences, advantages and disadvantages.

The election campaign is not a fight among opposing candidates, party activists and voters; it is about proving how best one’s programmes are to address the current economic and social situation in the country.

The media has an important role to educate the voters, to facilitate a non partisan debate and ensure more coverage on the explanation of the programmes.

The importance of electoral manifestos should not be undermined. At each election the people of Seychelles has the sacred responsibility to elect a President, a Vice-President and later on a representative for the National Assembly. Voting should be based on the programme and the kind of leadership that will bring about economic prosperity and unity as a Nation

IV.               The call to the Faithful of the Church

We have just celebrated Easter after a journey with Jesus through his earthly ministry and our Lenten discipline. As Christians, we recognise our limitations and repent of our political leanings which subordinate truth and respect of others.

We have to admit, that as politicians, supporters and voters, we  have found ourselves more focused on the splinter in the opponents’ eye than admitting the log in our own.  Thus, for this important step that we have to make, we all need to admit our own fallibility and impure motives.  We have to let go of our narrow self-interest and prejudices in order to clear our vision and purify our motivations.  This, evidently, will prepare us to cast our vote in pursuit of God’s interest in compassion, justice and peace.  Honestly confronting our predisposition to distort the opponents’ statements and to assassinate their character goes a long way, my brothers and sisters, towards renewing our minds and softening our hearts to respond to the divine nudges in the voting booth.

As we go out to vote, remember that we vote as a means of extending God’s justice, mercy and peace; not as means of protecting personal privileges or enhancing self-interest.

We know very well that the elected one will be judged on the basis of what happens thereafter.  Once the election is over, we will still not be certain that those elected are God’s choice, but we need to put our complete trust in God.  We all know very well that our God is an awesome and powerful God who can really surprise us, and often does unexpected things. We read in the Holy Scripture how God has worked through the most unlikely leaders.  Therefore, we may not know with much certainty who God intends to be elected but we know for sure that God wants to use us.  We can be sure of God’s intention for whoever is elected.  God intends that the one elected govern with compassion and humility; and pursue justice and peace with courage rooted in confidence in the ultimate power of love.

Our responsibility as Christians, after the election regardless of the outcome, is to hold our leaders and ourselves to a higher standard of integrity, compassion, justice and respect that has been evident during the election.

Conclusion

My fellow pilgrims, who will be our next president, we do not know and whoever will be elected, the Bible tells us in Paul’s letter to the Romans (Romans 13:1-7), that we should honour and submit to those who are in position of authority. 

Now, although the early Christians were mostly apolitical, the seeds of many of the major socio-political movements are grounded in no other than the Scripture and the tradition of the church in some ways.  As a way to relieve any kind of anxiety or confusion on your part as a Christian who is still considering whether you should go to vote or not, let me encourage you with these reflections:

·         be very much aware of the single-issue candidate, because he/she is often forced to change course

·         ask the right questions, such as: with regards to all the social ills affecting our country, what are the candidates proposing?  What are the candidates saying on moral issues, education, the economy, the environment, peace and justice?

·         vote for people who have a positive vision for the future.  Remember, a good leader will take timeless values and combine them with current reality in order to produce a vision for a transformed future.

·         ensure that you choose people of faith.  Look for the one who even prior to the campaign, seems to honestly depend on God for guidance and strength.  It is mere fact that a leader with a very strong relationship with God will be more likely to follow the ideal model of leadership, which is to be a servant like Jesus Christ.

·         pray for guidance is vital.  After examining the candidates and their proposals, surrender them to the Lord.  There will be a Eucharistic service on Saturday, May 21 at 7am in all our churches before you go to the polling centres. Ask God to guide you as you enter the voting booth because this is a very important decision and it has to be surrounded with prayers.

Dear brothers and sisters, exercise your privilege.  Go out and vote, because it is your responsibility as a citizen of this land. It is a privilege to have the right to contribute in choosing the leader of this country.

May God Almighty bless this time of election; may He bring love, peace and unity in our hearts.

Together for His glory,

Rt Revd James Wong Yin Song

Your fellow pilgrim and bishop

(Have contributed in preparing this letter: Padrée Christine Bénoit, Father Danny Elizabeth, Father Daniel Kallee and Canon Lebrun Rabat)