President explains process behind appointment of Victoria’s new Mayor |28 February 2026

The Office of the President has issued the following statement following the appointment of Josy Michaud-Payet as the new Mayor of Victoria.

The President of the Republic, Dr Patrick Herminie, states:

“The process to appoint a Mayor for Victoria was deliberately structured to ensure transparency, consultation and broad participation among the districts forming the capital.

“At my request, the Association District of Victoria, comprising representatives of the main political parties in the National Assembly, conducted a structured selection exercise. Candidates were assessed through interviews and agreed evaluation matrices, producing three separate shortlists under different scoring scenarios.

“Several capable candidates emerged through these assessment rounds. However, despite extensive engagement, no unified recommendation was reached among the members.

“Under the existing common practice governing the appointment of the Mayor, the authority to make such an appointment rests with the President.

“Having been formally informed by the Office of the Speaker of the National Assembly that the Committee was unable to reach a consensus, I therefore exercised this power to appoint Josy Michaud-Payet as the new Mayor of Victoria.”

Press release from the Office of the President