STAR - Seychelles Truth Accountability Reality

The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

2011-10-05T17:52:00.000+04:00

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011

Seychelles Goes Back To One Party State

The National Assembly elections last weekend has confirmed that Seychelles, under James Alix Michel, is now in a one party state officially. The PL won all seats in the National Assembly with a 50% poll and PDM fielded a desperate 7.4% and failed to get even one seat on a proportional basis because the high number of spoilt ballots exceeded 16,500. The high number of no shows as well, in response to the UNITED BOYCOTT campaign pressed David Pierre’s allegedly rouge opposition party back into the Pandora’s Box where it came from. Pierre even forgot to remove his sunglasses on his cap and head, though it was after midnight.

There were more voters that did not vote for PL which includes spoilt votes, non voters, then those that did vote for PL . Hence, they do not rule with a majority, but they do hold every single seat in National Assembly. This is very communist. It calls for the drafting of a new constitution to reflect the reality that every voice counts. The 3^rd Republic has become exposed as being dysfunctional after years and years of cover up by SPPF and SNP leadership.

The PL leadership openly displayed their facial grief on SBC as the results were made Public, when it was announced that their apparent grandiose plan to field a fake opposition, millions of rupees later, apparently, had failed miserably. This is a political BACKFIRE of the highest quality!

Michel even said, he would have liked to have an opposition to debate with since Pierre indicated he would be debating in a responsible manner to Michel’s satisfaction.

You do not get comments that can be more communist then this. It shows how Seychelles has been living in the one party state in Michel’s mind, all along.

No Opposition Then One Party State

The lack of an opposition now means the PL have caused

Seychelles

to be labeled a one party autocrat state officially. This is the same title that graced Seychelles from 1977-1991 under Rene’s one party state. This dubious title, now makes

Seychelles

under James Michel, a regional pariah, for failing, in due course, over the last Eighteen (18) years, to implement the democratic reforms, electoral reforms, and freedom promised by F. A. Rene, but never delivered by James Michel. Ironically, only James Michel autocrat “grace” can now move the country forward if we are to avoid as one PL said: “civil war”.

Most recently, James Michel was appearing on SBC to be very arrogant and authoritative. We saw him more often then we saw the news presenters themselves. One party state tactics were started to be used again, under his presidency. Example, State House thugs regularly call and harass Freedom Party staff over the good work we are doing to bring unity of purpose in the opposition, and change in Seychelles.

The incidences are so numerous, it is not worth mentioning in an article, I would need a Excel spreadsheet to list them all. We will start listing them, and seek damages for them, and seek Michel’s public commitment that it shall also stop, before we move on.

With no opposition, key provisions of the Constitution of Seychelles cannot be operative. The PL will now have no one to debate with as I promised would happen. They will now debate with themselves. As such, it will be conclusive that the one party state culture is alive and well in Seychelles, until we destroy it permanently or it destroys the Communists. The choice is now yours Mr. Michel and communist company.

A New Level of National Shame

Shame has taken a new level for James Michel, who at one point tried to pass F.A. Rene off as a dictator with the diplomatic corps and in private and passed himself off as a reformer , democrat and admirer of the free world. He distant himself with Rene, by whining down meetings with Rene, and saying: “Michel has his own style” in the early days of his assuming the Presidency. I cannot argue with that. His style has now taken Seychelles back to one party state.

In 2004 Michel even referred to himself as: ”President of all Seychellois”. Just the new tenants at Ile Preserverans shows he is the President of just the Communists. Where are the 50% opposition tenants at Ile Preservans, Michel?

Right now, Michel is looking worse then Rene for Seychelles. In the coming months we will see if he can rehabilitate himself under the pressure his own deeds will bring to his door step. As President, he holds considerable domestic power, and can do the right thing if he chooses to.

International Pressure Will Bear Down on Michel

While the PL candidates were using the district offices for a celebration orgy of booze and food, another one party state syndrome at play, they had no clue, that the election results will bring a wrath of critic and pressure upon the PL. Western European states will no longer tell us to give examples of one party state in play. We will tell them to go count red shirts in the National Assembly, and count them at State House. That will be enough.

While they danced and boozed freely on government property as if they owned it, they were in fact bringing greater shame upon their communist party and exposing its one party state fixation that is destroying Seychelles bit by bit, day by day, life by life, because………., we are not FREE.

International Pressure Will Be Painful

No western country will be able to give out assistance to a rouge one party state. We have become a regional pariah overnight under James Michel. As aid is cut, diplomats will start to voice their opinions because their politicians back home will not be able to sustain the syndrome of guilt by association with the PL as they face legitimate elections and their press and people.

We will get less help on our national bankruptcy brought on by Michel himself. Michel knows this. This is why he recklessly pushed the wild card of ZEEDA Party into play.

A country cannot field fake opposition parties. It is treacherous and destructive to the social cohesion of society. Michel has seen this in the “Spoilt Votes” and “No Votes”. It was as if the light bulb clicked finally.

The numbers are enough to drive the sense of respect into his heart . This silent majority, has PL scared for its future. The international community cannot ignore that the PL rule by hook of a perverted system that is no

longer functional for

Seychelles

today. They will press for Democracy in Seychelles, and when they do, we at home must press for Freedom.

This task is not for the novice to orchestrate. Hence, we ask SNP leadership to simply follow our steps so they do not get twisted themselves. We will keep them informed and they can copy and paste if they like. But please, give credit where credit is due. When you take and give no credit, you are acting like communists. It just is not acceptable conduct in the free world. It is shameful and destructive to social cohesion in the opposition community!

After telling us we are in a Democracy for 18 years, and after telling us you believe in the BALLOT BOX, it was nice of you to turn up for a BOYCOTT, finally. Now, you see what kind of progress we can make in quick time when we do not think about our salary and pensions of Sr.32,000.00 for life. Bravo!

We will need to get PL to cancel these pensions for politicians, don’t you think? Let me know how you feel about this.

Massive Economic Depression Ahead

While we face this political calamity created by PL, looming over our heads is a massive economic depression ahead for Seychelles, that will outlast F.A. Rene ‘s life, James Michel life, and perhaps Danny Faure’s life, if they do not take bold steps now in the direction of fostering genuine social cohesion in Seychelles.

Real Social Cohesion

Social cohesion cannot be made by artificial means and gestures that are not sincere. They must be real. The first order of the day in the CC where the Communists deliberate is: 1. STOP THE VICTIMIZATION. 2. You Need a Round Table of all parties to discuss the way forward. 3. You must retire the thugs and killers in your operation that threaten our people everyday, take their guns and knives, charge them with some crimes. Send them to jail for the sake of national PEACE. 4. Finally, disclose all arrangements with ZEEDA Party so it can be wind up, as it is an appendage going no where. It is a bit of a Frankenstein party, created out of the belly of SNP, but fed by the communists. A very strange thing, but Pierre seems like he can live under his skin so far, as long as he has a cap.

Then we will take it to the next step.

We will not live in FEAR…… of a failure organization!

One Party State You Want, One Party State You Got!

Time To Move On!

Seselwa Unite!

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

Elections for Seychellois, or for Michel?

2011-09-30T19:27:00.000+04:00

Ben Carson argues that reform in Seychelles may have come too late as Seychellois head to the polls after the dissolution of the National Assembly.

ARTICLE | 30 SEPTEMBER 2011 - 12:10PM | BY BEN CARSON

President James Michel's swearing in ceremony after May's elections.

This weekend Seychelles will go to the polls to elect a new National Assembly after President Michel's Parti Lepep led a National Assembly vote to dissolve itself in July this year.

Elections were due to take place in 2012 but the vote means new elections had to be held within 90 days. The dissolution, a sequence of events which began with the idea of reform, were an apparent attempt to make elections more fair and transparent. But the process has ended with a situation where the election may produce a result less representative of political feeling in Seychelles than the presidential elections in May, won by James Michel.

An analysis of this intended electoral reform, and the route to the election, suggests that Seychellois democracy may have instead taken a step backward.

After the presidential election

After the presidential elections in May 2011 it appeared that the newly re-elected President Michel might commit to electoral reform. The presidential elections took place amid allegations of corruption, unfairness and of a lack of transparency. Independent observers made various post-election recommendations. A common theme was the creation of an electoral commission to replace the single electoral commissioner - although observers were complimentary about Hendrick Gappy himself.

From the Commonwealth Expert Team preliminary report:

From the Commission de L'Ocean Indien Organisation International preliminary report:

From the SADC Electoral Commissions Forum preliminary report:

In his victory speech Michel said:

“In the New Seychelles we shall continue to put in place and strengthen our legal and institutional frameworks to ensure the progress of our democracy. It is my aim to improve on our achievements and to reinforce the rule of law, good governance and transparency.”

This seemed to suggest that Michel was willing to go ahead with reforms and wanted to improve democracy in Seychelles. Of course, talking about change is not enough. Michel's own government launched a Constitutional Reform Committee in 2008 shortly after the last round of elections which promised much and resulted in little. As a consequence the 2011 elections were were characterised by failures similar to those in the 2006 and 2007 elections.

But Michel has moved more quickly this time. Within weeks of the presidential election a new bill was tabled to create an electoral commission. The bill was presented to the National Assembly but rejected by opposition leader Wavel Ramkalawan and his party, the Seychelles National Party (SNP). However, in a dramatic series of events one member of the SNP - Jane Carpin - crossed the floor to give Parti Lepep the 2/3 of the vote it needed to pass the bill. Michel then tried to dissolve the assembly, again using Carpin's vote to get the number of votes required. But dissolution was temporarily delayed by two appeals to the Constitutional Court arguing that a vote for dissolution had to be scheduled in advance of the vote itself so that members of the assembly could make sure they were present to vote. The appeals were upheld, but a subsequent scheduled vote for dissolution still passed, again with Carpin's vote. This happened despite the fact that Ramkalawan tried to have Carpin removed as a member of the assembly on the grounds that she was chosen by the SNP to be one of their proportionally elected seats rather than being directly elected to the assembly.

A closer look at the 6th Amendment Bill 2011

In a detailed independent observer report the Commonwealth Expert Team elaborated on its recommendation to put in place an electoral commission:

"[O]ur concern is that while [government officials] may very well go through the exercise of establishing such a Commission in fulfilment of our recommendation, the appointees to the Commission must be from a broad cross-section of stakeholders and the appointment process must also be, and be seen to be, a truly independent process."

Whether the appointees to the Commission are "from a broad cross-section of stakeholders" can be questioned. Hendrick Gappy was picked to lead the Commission, and although it will undoubtedly benefit from his experience, a completely fresh start might have been helpful to make sure the appointment process is "seen to be" truly independent. Unfortunately, an in-depth analysis of the independence of each member of the Commission is beyond the scope of this article.

It is important in the long-term to look at how members of the Commission are chosen and whether this is an independent process. This is set out in s.2 (f) of the 6th Amendment Bill 2011 which gives a replacement for Art 115 of the Constitution. The relevant substitute section (S.115 A. (1)) states:

"The Commission shall consist of a Chairperson and four Members all of whom shall be appointed by the President selected from seven candidates … proposed by the Constitutional Appointments Authority …"

The Constitutional Appointments Authority consists of three members, one of whom is chosen by the President and one by the leader of the opposition. Those two members then agree on a chairman - although if no agreement can be made by the members then the president can choose and appoint the chairman himself. It should be apparent that this process gives the president effective control over a majority of appointments to the Constitutional Appointments Authority should he desire it.

The Constitutional Appointments Authority then proposes seven members for the Electoral Commission and the president has a veto over two members (or 30%) of proposed candidates. No veto is given to members of any other party.

From this it seems the process of choosing who will be on the Electoral Commission is compromised at two levels of the selection process, so the substantive reform in the 6th Amendment Bill does not appear to live up to Michel's claims that he will "reinforce the rule of law, good governance and transparency". The reality of reform seems to have been lost along the way.

How the bill came to be passed

It was important to independent observers that the appointment process of the Commission was "seen to be" independent. This ties in with a current problem in Seychelles - the belief that politics is corrupt and a resulting scepticism and fear that reduces democratic legitimacy in the country. We should, therefore, also look at whether the bill is seen to be fair, as well as whether it is fair.

The bill was introduced to the National Assembly and passed with no support from the opposition, except for Carpin. This makes it look like the bill was forced through the assembly rather than passing with unified political will. The lack of support also suggests that a reasonable number of people may think that the bill is unfair. Both of these factors, the apparent force and the lack of support, undermine the image of the bill as fair.

Subsequent political fighting and infighting has also marred perception of the bill. The reaction from Ramkalawan, trying to remove Carpin from the Assembly, and the actions of Carpin herself can both be called into question and serve to make recent events about politics and power rather than substantive reform. Neither the bill, nor the way the bill was made into law, seems to embody a spirit of transparency, good governance, or fairness.

Dissolution of the National Assembly

The content of the 6th Amendment Bill, and the way it came into force, could be excused as merely unfortunate; an example of parties failing to work together effectively and not considering the implications of their actions. At the very least a case could be made that both parties, and individuals such as Carpin, were trying to do what they thought was right in the national interest.

It is more difficult to say the same thing about the dissolution of the assembly.

After succeeding in passing the bill to create a new electoral commission Michel chose to try to dissolve the National Assembly. It is difficult to understand why Michel may have thought dissolving the assembly could be in the national interest.

It could be argued that the Assembly was ineffective due to the SNP's resistance to taking part in the legislative process after the results of the presidential elections which it deemed unfair. However, from Michel's point of view it is still difficult to see why dissolution was the best option for the country. If Michel believes that effectiveness of the Assembly rests in making the laws he believes are right then he should have been content: he could pass laws with his party and the support of Jane Carpin. Perhaps Michel believes it is important to have a rigorous opposition to fuel debate about the laws that are made. But this is a difficult argument to make given that no opposition is adequately prepared to fight an election. Dissolving the Assembly and having an election now will not produce at atmosphere of greater debate. Instead, with the SNP boycotting and several smaller parties likely to split the SNP votes, the Assembly is likely to end up more one-sided than before and with less debate.

So why dissolve the assembly? The obvious answer is in order to win. Michel may have believed that he could guarantee quick and easy victory with a forced election now. A divided opposition has completely collapsed. In its place are several small parties which will fight over and split the votes which would have gone to the SNP, leaving Parti Lepep with a large majority.

The problem with this is not so much the fact that there may have been political reasons at the heart of the decision to dissolve the Assembly. The greater problem is Michel's portrayal of himself as trying to reform the electoral process. How does holding a quick election fit in with Michel's stated desire to reform Seychelles politics into something more democratic, fair and transparent? After elections in 2006 and 2007 Michel promised reform. He failed to deliver. After the presidential elections this year he promised reform and delivered a questionable bill for a new electoral commission. But within days of passing the bill the assembly was dissolved and another election had been forced. Realistically, 90 days is not enough time for a commission to effectively plan and oversee an election.

The single reform which was put in place has therefore been rendered practically ineffective for the current election, even leaving aside all questions of whether the commission is inherently compromised. Yet again an entire electoral cycle will have passed with no effective electoral reform. It therefore has to be questioned whether Michel wants elections that he runs in to be democratically transparent. By Monday we will have to wait another five years - half a decade, until 2016 - for the people of Seychelles to have another chance to speak.

Calling an election because you may win is not undemocratic. But if Michel thought electoral reforms were important, surely he would make sure they were cemented before the election. If he thought the check provided by an opposition party was important he would allow an opposition time to prepare rather than guaranteeing himself five years with a weaker opposition than he has now. The election may not be entirely undemocratic, but the way it has come about raises questions about whether Michel is sincere in speeches where he presents himself as holding democracy and the national interest above all else. He is a politician, and self interest, perhaps, still comes first.

About the Author

Ben Carson

Head of Communications and Public Relations

Ben Carson is Head of Communications and Public Relations at Think Africa Press. He is a graduate in law from Oxford University and will be reporting on legal and political issues throughout Africa.

The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

2011-08-30T23:44:00.000+04:00

Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures…

…Ancient Communist saying!

No sooner that the Seychelles Freedom Party (SFP) was registered, and I gave a press conference calling for an all out BOYCOTT of the national Assembly elections, joining officially along with NDP and SNP. Immediately, the Election Commission registered another political party called Seychelles Popular Democratic Party, headed by Mr. David Pierre, ex SNP who turned in his membership to his party on national television. Mr. Pierre, was the Deputy Secretary General of the SNP.

David Pierre - SNP 2010 Conference addressing delegates on the issues of election, money and vote buying. How ironic!

David Pierre

Correspondingly, the SPDP leader has announced, through SBC help, that he and his party will be participating in the upcoming elections for the National Assembly. They will field candidates, they will seek legislative office, and they will have a vote for the leader of the opposition.

This position is completely contradictory of the common unifying platform of the

Seychelles

opposition. Mr. Pierre has not met with anyone in the opposition prior to deciding if he will field candidates. I am personally uncertain if he even read the Commonwealth Report on the recommendations that have been made to level the playing field for Eighteen (18) years.

Allegations of Backing By Ruling Party

Immediately, as the party was registered, numerous allegations surfaced on the internet that the ruling party was financing Mr. David Pierre’s party.

These allegations have not been denied by Mr. Pierre, until now. However, there are reports that he has been seen making numerous trips and visits to Danny Faure’s office. Mr. Faure is the Vice President of

Seychelles

and high ranking PL official. What would a future opposition party leader be doing roaming even close to Danny Faure’s office, all by himself? Could this be true?

Danny Faure - Confused as usual

Desperate Times Indeed

The call for BOYCOTT of National Assembly elections is a unifying platform of all elements of the

Seychelles

opposition community. In spite of all our shortcomings, and all issues internally that we grapple with, we have been able to come up with a common stance and common purpose, that unifies all

Seychelles

opposition.

That is, a BOYCOTT of these elections is critical at this time, because the promises of democracy and freedom made by F.A. Rene in November 1991, after Eighteen (18) years, have not been kept by PL and James Michel. It is arguable that we have backed tracked to one party state in the last Six (6) months faster then in the last Sixteen (16) years.

A Boycott exposes the promise broken by the SPPF and PL to implement democracy with corresponding freedoms made in 1991.

A Boycott exposes what the Commonwealth Expert Team (CET) in their Commonwealth Reports note, that is, we have numerous one party state laws in place that prohibit a full transition to democracy.

Basically, though we live in 2011 in life terms, but in terms of progress in democracy and freedom, we are still back in November 1991.

The Democracy Tree Without Roots

This means the democratic tree if you will, that Mr. F. A. Rene told us he was planting in November of 1991, has not taken root after Eighteen (18) years.

Albert Rene

Occasionally when it is exposed that the tree is really a dead tree, the next course of action, is to prop a few plastic oranges on the tree, to make the world believe, we have tree that is alive and well rooted. With the plastic oranges on the tree the communists can say that the tree is fine, it even bears fruit occasionally. You can even water the tree with sea water, it will thrive in appearance.

People of

Seychelles

, we are entering an era of plastic fruits in the opposition. As the opposition is shammed, like elections, and everything else around us, the world will see it for themselves, and we will not have to work to expose the sham, the entire tree without roots, will become a plastic tree that looks so beautiful, and lively, but it has not grown an inch in real terms since November 1991 nor has it borne any real fruit except for plastic fruits placed on the tree deliberately.

Do Not Lose Hope In Humanity

These tactics are expected of communists. They use them all over the world. In some communist countries, they fake debates, others will fake projects to give the people hope, many fake economic results to fake their success, when in fact it is all grand failure.

Faking an opposition is part of the communists effort to fake our realities. It is used to give cover and mask to their illegitimate democracies the world over.

The common thread in all communist societies is that faking it is never enough and they are sooner rather then later, exposed to the entire world, not just the central committee!

As they fake all the way, we must be united, act as one, for a common good cause that is greater then all of our sums divided.

Seselwa Unite!

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

2011-08-04T00:28:00.000+04:00

Seychelles

Communists Hack CAA Powers

When the constitution of the 3^rd Republic was being drafted, it was the expressed intent of the framers to allow for the creation of a Constitutional Appointments Authority (CAA). The appointments authority was an idea that was taking most modern democracies, that needed to have constitutional appointments to enforce democracy that must clearly, and conclusively be beyond partisan politics.

Jeremy Bonnelame - Head of CAA

CONSTITUTIONAL APPOINTMENTS AUTHORITY Article 139 prior to 6^th Amendment provided:

There shall be a Constitutional Appointments Authority which shall perform the functions conferred upon it by this Constitution and any other law.
Subject to this Constitution, the Constitutional Appointments Authority shall not, in the performance of its function, be subject to the direction or control of any person or authority.

The 6^th Amendment passed by the Communist led National Assembly, July 11^th, 2011, along with the single SNP vote from Jane Carpin, hacked the independence of the CAA as highlighted by this Article, with amendments that made the appointments of the CAA subservient to the office of the President of Seychelles, in the case of the Elections Commissions.

CAA Appoints Seven(7) President Names Five (5)

The first gross violation of the independence of the CAA is the appointment process of the Elections Commission, under the new Amendment. Under this scheme, the whole recommendation of the Commonwealth Observers, SADC, and our call for an independent election commission to replace a single electoral commissioner , has literally been tossed into a bin, to make a mockery of the seriousness of the recommendations.

The whole effort, seemingly pulls the wool over everyone’s eyes, and renders the principle of independent appointments to make democracy functional, farcical. The CAA has become subservient to partisan politics thus tainting its appointments and rendering them not independent.

Under the new process, and hacked powers of the CAA, the CAA appoints Seven (7) persons to the Commission. Then the CAA must submit the names to the President of the Republic, in this case, James Michel, a habitual presidential candidate. The President, then selects Five (5) persons to his choosing. This means he overrides Two(2) CAA recommendations, and the CAA selections become subservient to the President of the Republic. This is nothing short of an outrage.

Michel - First the Coup D'etat, now the Constitution

The matter must be highlighted, and rectified with an additional constitutional amendment. Failing to do that, we will be setting a precedence for the PL to follow in the future with appointments of judges, and other constitutional posts. The independence of that key branch of government will be eroded permanently to our detriment as a country.

Seychelles today, in practice has run backwards into the One Party state. We have a executive office, that is imposing his autocratic will upon the electorate. This autocratic will has its roots in a totalitarian culture, born out of the coup of June 5^th 1977.

While we have no time to look to the past, we cannot move forward as a Nation, without due reflection, on where exactly this totalitarian tendency comes from and raises its head, when the going gets tough.

It is for this totalitarian will that Seychelles is BANKRUPT and we face moral decay in our society. Nothing else is to blame, because nothing else exist in Seychelles.

Autocracy Over Dialogue

Communists are use to dictating terms and conditions to participation in business, social life, and political life. In our short history since the announcement of multi party democracy by Rene in 1991, we have been dictated to. Only one instance, did the opposition unite as a solid force to say “NO”. This was the BOYCOTT of the first constitution which was rammed down our throats by the communists.

Communists do not understand how to dialogue. They prize politeness towards them, over communication of solid ideas to them. They call you “sauvage” if you do not bow and cow tow to them and their bad ideas. As a consequence, our country fails year after year.

Time To Boycott With One Voice

The opposition of Seychelles, must be strong and determined to unite with one voice to face down this scourge of communism and autocracy that has taken grip of Seychelles, under the Michel Administration.

The time is now, we must say “NO” again like we did in 1992 when they dished out a one party state constitution and told us to take it or leave it.

It is a time to put party self interest aside, individual self interest on the shelf and stand up for your country and say “NO” to James Michel and his autocracy.

We must say we do not accept the hacking of the powers of the CAA. It is undemocratic and it is another step to take Seychelles back to the one party state.

The Rush and Panic Is On

By closing the Assembly under highly dubious circumstances, and the cases rest before a Constitutional Court with judges on holiday, the Communists are burning up the clock to National Assembly elections, while their communist candidates follow the IOG flame around the districts, and use beer and burgers funded by the business community of Seychelles, to campaign.

We should not be in a rush to meet a Communist deadline, which they set, and they rig to sham another election.

What the opposition should be doing now, is dialogue, and work towards a unifying platform to BOYCOTT this sham process, which is in play already.

Once you fall into the trap of a communist timeline, you fail. Why? Because they rig the process and rig the rules, and sham the outcome to their favor. They execute on their timeline.

The Boycott of 1992, showed us all that we can derail the communists game plan. We can break their nerve, and we can bend their knees to the people, and not the other way around.

When we asked for a level playing field, and international observers made the same call, we did not mean that the communists should take over the field all by themselves, by hook and crook.

From the allege buying of SNP MNA’s, to the missing ballot boxes that were alleged to have gone to State House, before National House, now the dissolution of a National Assembly, the co-conspiracy of the courts to sit on constitutional rights and human rights, and now the overt hacking of CAA independence, it looks like by hook or by crook, we are heading back to where we came from: One Party State!

If One Party State you want, One Party State you get!

Boycott the National Assembly Elections!

Seselwa Unite!

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

2011-07-31T17:54:00.000+04:00

Communists Blunders Take Seychelles Into One Party State

If you have an interest in the health of the Seychelles democratic experiment, last Tuesday would have sent even a doctor into the ICU. The structures of state institutions are crumbling right before our very eyes many stand and watch in utter disbelief over the incompetence as the institutions of the state are being degraded and held in disrepute by the very people who are suppose to be holding it in high regard.

The Constitutional Court Malaise

Before the Constitutional Court at 9.00 am, there were a number of Constitutional Court cases listed to be heard. Constitutional cases involve fundamental human rights or fundamental inter relationships between the citizen and a constitutional branch of government.

One case involved the case of Mr. Viral Dhanjee who was sidelined as a presidential candidate by the Electoral Commissioner. Mr. Dhanjee is asking the Courts to prescribe a remedy to their past ruling in his favor. It is a stickling point, that has the Constitutional Court caught with its pants down, meddling and co-conspiring with the Executive Branch to uphold the results of the presidential election, or scrap the same.

Viral Dhanjee (left)

Because Mr. Dhanjee’s case involves fundamental human rights, it must be followed carefully, because eventually, he may make it before the UN Commission of Human Rights, and cause great embarrassment to the communist government in Seychelles.

Another case involves Jane Carpin a SNP -PR National Assembly member who has been in conflict with her party, while coincidentally, providing the SPPF PL the One (1) single vote needed to get 2/3 to pass:1. a constitutional amendment, 2. dissolve the National Assembly, no less then twice in one month.

Jane Carpin

The SNP have Two (2) other cases, one filed by Mr. Ramkalwan to remove Carpin and another by Whip Nicholas Prea, to render the motion to dissolve invalid for lack of proper form and procedure.

Ramkalawan (left) and Prea (right)

These Three (3) cases show us that we have no National Assembly. Hence the country is being run by a single Executive branch of government. Since the Courts decided to take a vacation, we have no Judiciary in

Seychelles

today. The President is now a full autocrat with no checks and balance in place. Warrants do not have to be issued, because that right has been sacrificed under the law that created the NDEA, a paramilitary apparatus of State House. Seychelles is now in a One Party State in form and structure.

AG Represents Two Branches of Government

Ronny Govinden - Attorney General

Appearing before the Constitutional Court for the Speaker of the ex National Assembly was the Attorney General who also represents the Executive branch of government in all affairs . The fact that his presence has not gone under protest as the Speakers Consul is unprecedented in itself. Additionally, the ex –Speaker was not present to hear his own case. It leaves freedom minded members of the public dumbfounded. But on the other side of the coin, it also confirms we are in fact in a one party authoritarian totalitarian state. Under this type of system things only get worse, and you will very likely not even be able to form a political party.

You do not have to hold your breathe.

Seychelles Freedom Party Exposes One Party State

At about the same time these cases were being adjourned by the Constitutional Court, I walked into the Electoral Commissioners Office and office of Registrar of Political Parties to file party registration papers for the Seychelles Freedom Party (SFP). The office had lights, Four(4) bodyguards, a person named Mrs. Jenny Adrienne, known to be the Chief Electoral Officer in the past elections, Mr. Analce Tirant, known to me as a retired official of the same office, who has since returned out of pure need, and Mr. Hendrik Gappy . With all these personal in place, one would reasonably expect that papers to form a party would at least be accepted, pending the formation of the new Electoral Commission, if ever it gets done.

Christopher Gill

Mr. Gappy, politely informed me, that in

Seychelles

today, it is not possible to form a political party. He expressed thanks to James Michel and Ronny Govinden for their “talent” to draft legislation.

Back to One Party State!

One party state you want, One Party state you get!

Seselwa Unite!

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

Christopher Gill

The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

2011-07-23T15:33:00.002+04:00

STB Exposes Communist Failure in Tourism

The Seychelles Tourism Board, under the suggestion of the private sector embarked on the drafting of a Master Plan For Tourism last year. Would you believe that after Forty (40) years of Tourism, Thirty-Four (34) of which have been under one communist regime, we did not have a Master Plan for Tourism.

I am not making this up, this is the reality of the predicament of the country. Believe it.

It is too late to cry over spilled milk and wallow in self pity as we wonder what kind of money we could have generated with a proper growth plan.

As the STB green paper (meaning discussion paper) makes the rounds and all sectors of the Tourism Industry are consulted and government, I ask the communist to show some humility because they have royally screwed up the Seychelles Tourism Industry by not having a master plan for Thirty –Four (34) years.

With no plan in place, it means the communists have been making decisions that concern Tourism, well, to put it lightly: “from an un informed basis”.

Communist Said Build More Hotels, But no Direct Flights

If you are a hotel owner or worker in the Industry, and you have looked at your beautiful room and excellent product and wondered why is this fantastic product, on a fantastic location in paradise,- empty, you can blame the lack of foresight and lack of planning on the communists in the past for the reason why the rooms stayed empty.

As Seychelles went bankrupt in 2008, they were busy calling for more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to scratch up cash fast, which James Michel told us was $2 Billion at one point. Since he did not have a plan, his government approved these projects, but we did not have flights coming directly from Europe to meet bed availability.

Hence occupancy for Seychelles, throughout 2000 -2011 has hovered between 50%-57%. As occupancy remained low, room prices dropped, and yield reduced per visitor. Consequently, even if more tourist come to Seychelles, they spend much less and tax our infrastructure and eco sustainability more and more, and reduce the overall brand image of the

Seychelles

. Each year we are in this vicious cycle, it gets worse and worse.

The low occupancy rates below 75% represents a total failing grade for the Tourism Industry and exposes severe under performance of the Industry and worse, over capacity. Why? Because as the rooms opened up, Air Seychelles went flying to Falklands, India,

Mauritius

and on charter, contracted trips, where payment could be “negotiated” and lumped summed.

Turning Down 5^th Freedom Flying Rights

To make matters worse for Seychelles Tourism Industry, the communist seem to have placed the viability of Air Seychelles, above the viability and success of the Industry. Air Seychelleshas gone off on a tangent that has left it without effective interactive communications with the STB or the SHTA. The national airline has been a strong advocate of denying 5^th Freedom Rights to airlines that want to come to Seychelles and fly onwards taking passengers, to other destinations. This has caused a tremendous amount of loss of revenue to Seychelles, over the years, that with that money, we could have reinvested in Air Seychelles, and started to fly throughout Africa, which is booming today, to buttress our national airline. Instead, we have closed off travel and marketing opportunities to Seychelles, and today, the Industry is on the verge of collapse even though arrivals are up, and the President is the Minister of Tourism.

Break The Vicious Cycle of Communist Failure

The time to break this vicious cycle of communist failure is now. We do not even have enough water to wash our rice, and feed our children, yet the PL have approved projects that will demand even more water. A hotel room demands 750 litres of water a day for a 5 star. A smaller hotel needs 500 litres per day. A Seychellois family of Six(6) uses 25 litres of water a day from bakke to a bottle to bathe. When will the communist put an end to this madness? How will all the sewage be treated PL? Where will we get the extra roads for all the projects? What is your plan ? You seem good at planning elections, stealing votes, and buying SNP executive members, beating up young men and criminalizing them, but what is your plan to run the Tourism Industry?

Answer: You have no plan.

The answer is as official as the United Nations accepting South Sudan as a new nation state last week.

Moratorium on Future Projects

In an excellent presentation put forward by Marquise David, STB proposed that a moratorium on future development be considered by the Minister of Tourism and the PL Cabinet, until the PL can catch up with the disaster they have created. Along these lines, was a general sentiment that projects given and approved for foreign interests must be channeled back to bona fide Seychellois national interests to implement. Nationalist sentiment in the meeting of stakeholders was at a peak and should serve as a solid warning to those who think they can walk into paradise and do what they want with the “natives”.

He on Eden Island, who thought this on entry, will have an adjusted perception on exit.

Few if any, have taken Seychellois for fools and did not regret it. Confusing Seychellois with communism is one grave mistake many have made. The deals you cut were with communists. The deals that are cut back, will be made by “Freedom Loving Seychellois”, one way or another.

Seselwa Unite!

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

Christopher Gill

The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

2011-07-23T15:32:00.000+04:00

Stop Playing Politics With Escobars and Drugs

Our country is being overrun with drugs and it is ripping the very fabric of our society and making it highly dysfunctional. This has been ongoing for the last decade and it has reached a collapse mode today. Over 3,500 addicts of hard drugs in

Seychelles

today.

Treatment centers collectively can take only 18 patients on a 4 month cycle. 54 patients a year, at a possible 40% success rate.

This means we have a serious national crisis on hand.

NDEA Numbers Give Fake Results

As a consequence of drug use and addiction, addicts resort to crime and illicit activity such as prostitution to fund their habits. The viability of our work force is under threat, the availability of young men able to work is under threat as NDEA records 400-600 arrest and charges detentions per annum.

Montagne Possee is full over capacity. The strategy to arrest every man with a little drugs like marijuana on hand, has been implemented to fill quotas and provide proof to Michel that the Irish are doing a good job.

Montagne Posee Prison - Overrun & poorly managed

The reality is that they are arresting the victims of drug abuse, and they are letting the Escobars free to continue the supply chain of drugs into Seychelles.

Morgan Says He Knows the 25 Escobars

Minister Joel Morgan, a former SNP Parti Seselwa executive committee member, said on SBC Three (3) weeks ago that he knows all the Escobars operating in Seychelles. Minister Morgan said there are Twenty –Five (25) Escobars in Seychelles, and he personally has all the information he needs on them to arrest them, and he is watching them.

I salute Minister Morgan on his excellent intelligence work. I now ask publicly that Minister Morgan please, take the next step, with the wind of all the Gods pushing your back and bones, and arrest the Twenty –Five (25) Escobars. If you can manage that, you will put John Wayne to shame, and show us all , that after all, John Wayne was just an actor and you , Minister Morgan, are the real DEAL.

Minister Morgan - The Great Crime Fighter?

NDEA Morgan Need to Put Up or Shut Down!

I watched with complete amusement as Sergeant Naill Scully, ex Guardia Army Irish Reserve, explained to us on SBC that NDEA is involved in a major sting operation with cartoons from a computer print out collage depicting drug lords in different locations of the globe.

This is total nonsense that only a person not qualified for a job would do on national television. If you are doing your job Scully, you do not need graphs and pointers and cartoon characters to tell us you are doing your job.

We will tell you ourselves, that you are doing your job. So far, you have been arresting young men with tibits of marijuana on possession and that means you are not arresting the Twenty –Five (25) Escobars.

We want what James Michel promised: ESCOBARS. When you have them, do not hide them, put them out to dry, and show their: 1. face, 2. name, 3. district, 4. age. Then we want to know what assets are seized and how many years they are sentenced.

Promises, promised and more promises to catch Drug Escobars - So far, not a single one caught.

NDEA Not Police

A widely mis-held perception in

Seychelles

, is that the NDEA is the Seychelles Police. It is not. NDEA is a para military unit headed by a recruit mercenary named Nail Scully from ex- Guardia Irish Army Reserve. Scully has no Police experience, prior to coming to Seychelles. At one point Michel appointed Scully as Deputy Commissioner of Police. Under his watch more professional Police resigned or were removed by a non police then we have ever seen in recent Seychelles Police history. Anyone that disagreed with Scully which I am not sure if he even holds a college degree, was given the boot. Today our Police force is meek and weak, only because it has been made so in a deliberate systematic manner. To rebuild will take another generation. Let us not kid ourselves.

The NDEA use a bogus enabling statute that created it to conduct search and seizure without warrants ( a violation of fundamental human rights), stop searches without probable cause (another violation of fundamental human rights) , and they are overly armed with assault weaponry (para military aspect of NDEA) which they use in a civilian setting.

Mr. Michel, this is not on.

We also know that NDEA is used by Mr. Michel himself, or with his tacit consent of silence, for political intimidation. The case that comes to mind is the shooting of MSR truck by one NDEA staff or agent with a 9mm gun. I have written to Mr. Michel to address this matter, and until today, he has remained silent. In the modern world, silence equates to guilty as hell. I expect Mr. Michel to resolve this matter that is still pending. The Police that received the complaint form of the incident told us nothing will be done on this.

Breaking Into of MSR Office

Another matter that has been alleged to involve NDEA agents that were based at State House, is the breaking into of the MSR office at Docklands. This matter was addressed in a letter to Mr. Michel, and he did not reply. It is still an outstanding matter that we want addressed and resolved. The using of NDEA for meeting political agendas is equates Seychelles Government to a tyranny and para military state. This disgraceful malpractice must be stopped.

In such a small place, such a small country, there is no place for bullying with AK-47’s and Israeli manufactured short neck machine guns. You don’t need all that armory to stop Escobars, Michel. You just need a little will!

The NDEA reminds me a bit of the dumb bully in school. He was much bigger then everyone else, had some contacts in high places, and pushed his way around, because he was not smart enough to do his work in a cool way to move ahead. We Seychellois are tired of being bullied especially by a bunch of dummies that cannot deliver what they have promised.

Go Talk To The Escobars

If Nail Scully cannot track down the ESCOBARS as James Michel promised, all Twenty –Five (25) of them as declared by Minister Joel Morgan, then Minister Morgan should change tactics. Go talk to these ESCOBARS. Tell them they are ruining our country, and destroying lives, and breaking families. Tell the Escobars they are ruining Seychelles. Beg them to stop and change, turn to the inspirational word of the Lord, and earn their living another way. If they need help, send them to Saving Bank where Carpin and Pierre go to collect their pay packet. If they can go to Savings Bank, why cannot an Escobar get a loan for a fresh start? You seem to be good at handling the SNP, why cannot you handle the ESCOBARS?

When you talk to the ESCOBAR, tell him, if you do not stop, next time I will come back with one armed man and one Vice President to discuss your future. If that does not work, tell him on the third visit, we will bring the President of the Country along with the Vice President.

By then, the Escobar will either stop, or he will be encouraged by the guest list to continue his evil trade and prepare a grand feast for you all that will put to shame what you dished out last month: Burgers, Bakke, Bakka!

People of Seychelles, we must hold SPPF PL fully accountable for the 25 Escobars!

We are waiting.

Seselwa Unite!

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

Christopher Gill

STAR SEYCHELLES - SURVEY

2011-07-16T14:37:00.000+04:00

SURVEY

STAR is conducting a survey and would like all readers to let us know what their views are on the following questions below. Please be honest and refrain from swearing, cursing and being derogatory to anyone. This survey is important for the future of democracy in Seychelles.

Thank you for your honest opinions and value your contributions to the STAR blog.

STAR BLOG MANAGEMENT

QUESTIONS:

1. Do you believe we live in a true democracy in Seychelles or is it just a "window-dressing" of a democracy?

2. Do you believe that the National Assembly (Legislative Branch of Government) is a real democratic institution and respected as such, or is it simply a "Rubber Stamp" for James Michel and Party Lepep?

3. Should the Opposition boycott the upcoming National Assembly elections, or should they participate?

4. Do you believe that Party Lepep will ever respect democratic norms if an opposition continues to be part of the process?

5. Should the Opposition unite and if so, how can that best be achieved?

The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

2011-07-11T13:30:00.000+04:00

Viral Dhanjee Has The Communist Beast By The Tail

After the MSR was blocked from being registered as a political party in the last election and political debate in Seychelles was curtailed by a communist system in place that feared the principle of “Sesel Pou Seselwa”, one of its members Viral Vadilal Dhanjee set out to file papers as an Independent Presidential Candidate.

Viral Dhanjee outside the Court House

First MSR and Christopher Gill denied their rights

Then it was the turn of Seychelles patriot Viral Dhanjee (left) to be denied his rights

Mr. Dhanjee’s candidacy was refused, and he was denied participation in the elections, a direct violation of his right to participate in public and political affairs of his country. This not only violates the Constitution of the Republic of Seychelles, it is a violation of the UN Charter of Fundamental Human Rights, which the communists have ratified. Typical of communists, they say one thing, do another. When they do this little exercise, they pass themselves off as being smart and capable. They are not of course, and every patriotic Seychellois, must tell them to their face, the truth.

Hire A Fighter For Freedom

To take on the communists establishment point man Mr. Hendrick Gappy the Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Dhanjee and his advisors knocked on the doors of tough, no nonsense lawyer who is very intelligent, and brews with a fighting spirit when human rights are at stake: Madam Alexia Amesbury. Madam Amesbury is earning a well deserved reputation for being a real Fighter for Freedom. Her tenacity to see victory is second to none when it comes to Human Rights.

Hendrick Gappy - Electoral Commissioner appointed by President Michel - How appropriate!

Constitutional Court Rules In Dhanjee’s Favor

Well prior to the elections, the Constitutional Court ruled in favor of Mr. Dhanjee being entitled to stand as a Presidential Candidate. However, in typical communist arrogance, the Electoral Commissioner and his team ignored the decision, and denied Mr. Dhanjee the right to file his candidacy. Hence, as the elections were in place, Mr. Dhanjee’s name was not on the ballot paper, for fear, that he would pull the balance of votes needed to push a second round.

Court of Appeal

Madam Amesbury filed a motion to the Court of Appeals to stop the elections, until such time that Mr. Dhanjee’s candidacy was present on the ballot paper. In an erroneous ruling, Justice Macgregor applied the Balance of Convenience Test for Injunctions, to a Fundamental Human Rights issue. When Human Rights are at issue, it is never convenient to the state.

Mrs. Amesbury fighting for justice

Attorney General Ronny Govinden (left) decided to step in illegally to save Gappy

Justice Macgregor is a former SPUP founder, and Central Committee member of the SPPF. He has been an MNA and Speaker of the National Assembly for many years, and he has been nominated -appointed by the SPPF PL as a Justice to the Court of Appeals. With this in mind, Madam Amesbury filed a motion to have Justice Macgregor removed from the bench for this case, as Mr. Dhanjee did not believe he could obtain justice with his presence. Similarly a Motion will be filed to remove Justice Hodoul, a former Minister in the SPUP Government and another SPPF PL appointment. Justice Hodoul also suffers from medical issues that may prevent him from delivering justice. As many will recall, Minister Hodoul signed numerous Land Acquisition Act property orders in the Rene’s One Party State. This caused many Seychellois to lose their properties and still today, many have not received compensation for these wrongful and illegal communist-based acquisitions.

Justice MacGregor getting some poor advice from his mentor Michel --- Justice Jacques Hodoul

In a rash move, to get rid of Mr. Dhanjee’s case, it appears that the Court of Appeals is doing the politically expeditious thing: hear the case on July 12, 2011 and get rid of it to save face for sham elect president, James Michel (PL).

The Court Is Inconsequential To Human Rights Violation

Regardless of the decision of the Court of Appeals, Mr. Dhanjee’s lawyer has been burning the midnight oil for Freedom and has extensively researched the UN Fundamental Human Rights Charter obligations the Seychelles is being held to uphold by the Dhanjee case.

Pull The Communist Beast Tail

After the Court of Appeals is finished, the Dhanjee case will go to Geneva, before the UN Human Rights Committee. The case will be heard, and very likely, Dhanjee will win his case again. When that happens the Committee will very likely SANCTION the communist regime in Seychelles until the elections are set aside and Mr. Dhanjee is given the opportunity to stand as a candidate, as he should have been given in the first place.

Such a ruling, will affect international funding for

Seychelles

initiated requests. Jean Paul Adam will have his plate overrunning with SANCTIONS before the UN Human Rights Committee. Dhanjee pursues his case because he is a great patriot who loves his country. The pain, you communists, will only end when we have new presidential elections, and you end the practice of sham rigged Gappy-led elections in Seychelles.

Seychelles

SANCTIONED For No Human Rights Country Report

Only in March 2011, the Seychelles was SANCTIONED by the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva, Switzerland, for not filing any Country Report for over Seventeen (17) years. This violates Eight (8) different conventions on human rights.

Minister Jean-Paul Adam - No time for Human Rights reports, but plenty of time to party

What Is The Message?

The message is on the wall: “The Communists in Seychelles are being exposed”.

Anyone that attempts to give credibility to Communists for self gain, promotion, or self enrichment, will similarly be exposed as well!

No good ever comes from a deal with the Devil…..

Seselwa Unite!

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

Christopher Gill

Seychelles Eyewitness News - Father John Gappy & The Roman Catholic Church

2011-07-08T10:39:00.000+04:00

Letters from Father John Gappy circulating on the internet

Father John Gappy (left) in happier times

Hi to all,

I have recieved some emails these last 2 days asking me if the latest rumour about me is true....this time it is true.

Yet, there was a deal between Mgr Denis and myself that the news would go public on July 15...so that I would also write to you all at the same time....but he has not kept his promise...as usual, nothing new. He has already told some people about my decision and this is of course spreading.

Rest assured, I am at peace and really feeling good that I have at last come to terms with a hierarchy that functions in an authoritarian manner. It is either you comply...or get out...I have opted to get out.

When I came home last year, after a lot of fighting...you surely remember.... I really felt the warmth of all the Seychellois I met everywhere I went. Therefore, my decision has nothing to do with our people who I love and will always do.

Since Echo will only mention a very small part of my letter, I believe that the Seychellois is entitled to read everything. Therefore, find below my letter of June 23rd.

Peace and Love,

John Gappy.

Father Gappy (centre) - The happy singing Seychellois priest

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday 21^st of June 2011,

Manila.

Dear Mgr Denis Wiehe,

On June 25^th 2011 it will be exactly five years since I landed in Manila. A lot of events have affected my life throughout these last five years, both positively and negatively. After this prolonged review and discernment, where I have extensively tested my deep longings and desires, I come to the following conclusions.

1. I still have the desire to accompany people in their life journeys similar to what I have been doing as a priest for these last 17 years.

2. However, I have decided to contribute towards positive social transformations of myself and my surrounding in a different way. The divine coincidence of being accepted into Applied Anthropology and Sociology civil Master’s degree at the Ateneo de Manila University is kind of unexpected… it is not at all a ‘temptation’….simply a door opening up, a God-given opportunity that I will not ignore.

Rest assured, I am writing this letter with deep serenity, peace, clarity of mind and a profound sense of ‘the truth shall set you free’. Let me insist, there are no more frustrations, no more anger and no more ill-feelings in my entire being. I have allowed myself to heal and to forgive. This is why I believe that my discernment is genuine, as much as one can “know” what direction one should take.

I am sorry about the pain that my decision might bring to the Church in

Seychelles

. On the other hand, the time has come for me to make a decision. It is not healthy, neither for me nor for the people of Seychelles, that I let my future remain a floating issue. I want to feel solid ground under my feet and move on. The Lord works in mysterious ways and already new paths are bringing new meanings to my life. I pray that my decision, formulated and reviewed over these last six months (after more than four years of discernment) will be accepted with the same tranquility in which I have made it.

I sincerely thank the people of

Seychelles

for all the support they have given me, especially in times of trials. Some day I will serve our Seychellois people in a different way, God willing. I thank the Diocese of Port-Victoria for her financial support up to 2010. I thank the Lord for opening unexpected doors when I decided to support myself since 2010 up to this day. I am now full of hope that the same God will be my guide, inspiration and protector in the journey ahead.

The Seychellois people will always have a special place in my heart. I hope that I will also be remembered by them.

Sincerely yours,

John Gappy.

The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

2011-07-05T13:56:00.002+04:00

THE COMMUNISTS ARE FIXING AND COOKING THE BOOKS IN SEYCHELLES

A common thread with communist regimes is that they have to fake success all the time, everyday, 365 days a year, year after year, to stay in power. To fake success, they have to fix and "cook" the books.

This idea, of book fixing has stuck with communists from the early days of Karl Marx.

Karl Marx

In Seychelles, the communists in paradise are not an exception they are experts in implementing the rule. Never under estimate a thug that lives under a coconut tree.

IMF Pops in Unannounced

Last week, the IMF popped into Victoria unannounced, and called for an extra ordinary meeting with the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Seychelles. The staffers all lined up, and made their way to the leather seats of the Ministry of Finance conference table to face the IMF Chief of Division African Department and lead for Seychelles program, Mr. Jean Le Dem. Mr. Le Dem is neither a politician nor a business man. Accompanying Mr. Le Dem was Mr. Nikoloz Gigineishvili, an economist who regularly has been visiting Seychelles. Miss Nkunde Mwase, economist from the Review Department of the IMF was not present.

Minister of Finance Danny Faure - in the hot seat and very confused

Mr. Le Dem is tasked with seeing through the communist government of Seychelles second generation reforms in taxes, and streamlining and cutting government largess and abuse of government funds, when mis- appropriated. It is no surprise he turned up after: 1. an election, 2. the approval of a supplementary budget approaching Sr. 300 Million for 2011, part of which bails out Air Seychelles again…..for now.

Where Did PL Get The Money

The big question of course, that no one asked is where did PL get the money for the Supplementary Budget to spend nearly Sr. 300 Million beyond a budget which was already high because it was an election budget. They did not earn it, since Fishing is down, and Tourism, though numbers are up according to STB and Alain St. Ange, the bottom line is severely down, Two (2) years in a row. It seems St. Ange, is recruiting any street walker, from any city, to be a Tourist in Seychelles, based on the receivables. But unfortunately, the situation is more complicated then that, I will address it in future article, after the World Bank visits Seychelles in the first week of July 2011 in cooperation with the IMF and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) which was here last year when Aida Der Hovanessian, country manager for Seychelles and the region paid us a short visit.

FDI Plummets

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI ) in Seychelles these days has plummeted. After PL chased everyone away by seizing a number of bank accounts and transfers, and the water crisis has surfaced, and it is obvious that we do not have capacity for future growth and investment, FDI went from $2 Billion under James Michel, to now likely under $90 Million, this year. Only Sheikh Khalifa of UAE is still putting money in Seychelles, and the PL are handing the ribbon cutting to the UAE in Seychelles, an unprecedented overt action that demonstrates the progressive and systematic selling of our patrimony.

James Michel's Savior & God - Sheikh Khalifa of UAE

James Michel formula for economic growth is very dangerous and likely very lethal to the overall health of the Seychelles economy.

Khalifa's Castle at La Misere Seychelles - aka "Villa Delo Kaka"

His policy of “Sesel Pou Arab” will have a negative impact on the economy unless it is a total sell out. At which point, Seychellois will be regulated to 3rd class citizens in their own country. We are well on our way.

Khalifa's plane at Seychelles Airport - No taxes, no duty, no customs. Sesel pou Arab courtesy James Michel

Why Print Money Now After Elections

When communists regimes cannot make business work on a national level, and money is short to get through the humps of fiscal shortfalls, they print money. To do so, they will tell you every reason why the old bills of are suddenly no longer good and a need for new bills is necessary, even if they just printed a new batch the previous year.

Here it appears, they have done this to take the old illegal print bills (undeclared print) out of circulation before the IMF shows up in August. Unfortunately for Pierre Laporte and the PL, the IMF showed up last week.

Suddenly all the advertisement of printing new bills, to replace the old ones printed last year, not Ten (10) years ago, stopped on SBC. I wonder why?

Governor Pierre Laporte

If this is so, it is the equivalent of a Central Banker being caught running in town naked for the IMF. Mr. Laporte will have to explain himself, failing a reasonable explanation, he should be called upon by the free journalists in Seychelles to resign unconditionally, for venturing into political servitude as a central banker, which is illegal in Seychelles under the Central Bank Act.

Did someone say this guy came from the IMF or a polka music band?

Direct Impact on Every Seychellois Even The Communists

The direct impact of printing more money is “Inflation”, which IMF has adjusted to nearly 6% now, perhaps higher by years end. This means cost of living will go up in Seychelles fast, faster, perhaps fastest.

Too much Rupees in circulation will mean devaluation gradually of the Seychelles Rupee to hard currencies like the US Dollar and Euro. This will compound Inflation and Cost of Living.

Steady taxes on fuel of over 450% will keep the Seychelles economy crawling for years as the overall cost of living remains high, and the destination remains costly and not affordable under JJ Spirit, sham President-elect Michel.

Uncertainty in external factors, which I shall treat in future articles, will reveal that I was wrong about a Ten (10) year downturn for Seychelles which I proclaimed in 2007. I will adjust my sails now to assert a Fifteen (15) year downturn for us under the current communist regime, if there is no change, because with communists, you can always be sure of one thing: they will always make the wrong move when it comes to the economy.

Communists know how to spend money, and beg for money well, but they do not know how to earn money and instill the will to earn money and excel in their people. They are great at regulating people to welfare wards, then attack them for being on welfare in the same breath. They are famous for giving holidays for a political event, and ignore the economic realities of the cost of such fanfare. Even when they are bankrupt, they will give a holiday for going bankrupt. In line with this logic I expect, October 31^st, will be set aside as National Bankruptcy Day for Seychelles, since this is the day in 2008 that James Michel declared we were BANKRUPT after he told us the previous year, we had cleared all our debts and we were debt free.

With this in mind, we must be prepared for the second phase of the paradise financial collapse post Lehman Brothers Bond default, the next round of downturns for us will be long, deep and drawn out for many years.

I wish I was wrong.

Fixing Numbers Does Not Fix Reality PL

After the PL is finished with this little charade yet to be exposed, we will be back to the same mess we were in before the PL rigged the presidential elections and handed Michel a faux mandate.

The future under James Michel & Parti Lepep - Each man to his own shovel to start digging for water, except for Ministers and Arab Sheikhs.

Fixing numbers, does not fix our reality…..we are still digging for water, and the amount of cancer cases is surging at our hospitals today. Why do they hide those numbers?

Seselwa Unite!

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

Christopher Gill

__________________________________________________________________________________

STOP PRESS - SEYCHELLES COMMUNISTS WANT RENAISSANCE IN MORALITY

The Communist party of Seychelles, Parti Lepep (PL), have called for a “Renaissance in Morality in our country”. The call came by a National Day speech by sham elect-President James Michel, and subsequently a national committee headed by designated Minister Vincent Meriton was appointed with Fifteen (15) members, from a cross section of the society. There are more people on this committee than players on a football pitch.

Vincent Meriton

Appointment of Chief Justice

I was perplexed to note the appointment of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Seychelles, His Excellency Justice Fredric Egonde Ntende, to this Committee.

Chief Justice of Seychelles - Frederic Egonde Ntende - being lured by James Michel

The Chief Justice who heads the Judiciary Branch of Government, has not politely declined the invitation and advised the Executive Branch that appointing a Chief Justice in a subordinate manner to an Executive Branch steering committee headed by a Designated Minister, is a gross violation of the principle of Separation of Powers.

Michel taking oath as Chief Justice looks on

Powers under the constitution that sets parameters on how the Executive Branch is to run a country, and set a course for the division of national responsibilities within the parameters of the principle.

Under the doctrine of Separation of Powers, the Judiciary branch and the Executive branch are separate and distinct branches of government. They must function in total independence of one another.

When you blur this Mr. Michel, by bringing on the Chief Justice to do Executive branch work, you kill a democracy and create an autocracy, similar to what we see in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Arab and communist countries.

What we have stewing now is some sort of pig food mess in a pot that Michel wants to pass off as a Democracy and we must all remain silent or face his Communist wrath. Judges will be part of an Executive committee. Soon Ministers, will think they can be judges, and MNA’s will think they can be ministers or even judges.

Appointment of Legislative Branch MNA’s

In what appears to be a total act of desperation, the PL has even gone so far as to appoint MNA’s from the Legislative branch of government to head a steering committee of the Executive branch. This is complete nonsense, and I am perplexed by SNP MNA Mr. Bernard Georges, not overtly declining the invitation politely in writing. A legislator cannot be a member of an Executive branch steering committee.

If it is permissible, then pigs can fly as well. St. Ange will tell us, “Sesel Sa” and wear his baseball cap about carnivals. That type of perverted thinking must be stopped by decent people in our community. If not, we will never know where to draw the lines in society, with that, our morality as a nation will remain in the dust bins that Michel has admitted openly where it is.

What Should Have Been Done

I fully understand what Mr. Michel is trying to do to address a serious issue. But he simply cannot do it as he has. What he should have done is blessed an organization such as LUNGOS with ministerial support and backing to bring everyone together and chart a path forward on national morality issues. LUNGOS could then make recommendations to the Consul of Ministers, then they could issue directives by adopting resolutions on morality that the Executive branch would then adopt and implement.

Our System Is being Corrupted

The guiding principle of Separation of Powers in the governance of our country is being blatantly corrupted by James Michel. Everyone seems to be playing along out of self interest and remain silent similar to what a mistress would do on the sidelines while she tries to milk every ounce of finance and material benefit from a lover, with complete disregard for the well being of the lover’s family at home.

Perhaps that is why we have a morality issue on a national scale in Seychelles: “too many people stay silent and just play along…….as if nothing is ever wrong”. When we do that, we each become a mistress to lack of morality in our country.

A Call For One Inter Faith Representative

Good luck on finding an interfaith representative for your committee….that violates the scared democratic principle of Separation of Church and State.

Let us see if the Churches will play along with this charade.

The Country is bankrupt, it will get more bankrupt in the coming years, don’t you communists think it is time to start taking national decay a bit more serious?

Seselwa Unite!

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

2011-06-23T23:36:00.000+04:00

Seychelles

Communists Are Suffering From National Multiple Disorder

The Seychelles Communists Party is exposing their serious state of mind disorder in the month of June.

On June 5^th, they claim that they are liberators. But the person they liberated themselves from, Sir James Mancham, a deposed President, sits besides them in public meetings, he is offered VIP status under their government and is pensioned. In public rallies, they proclaim quite arrogantly, “Se Nou Ki Lepep!”

Sir James Mancham

That is the pitch for the days leading up to June 5^th.

June 5^th Fiasco

The focus of attention on June 5^th, is Zomn Lib, a metal statute, designed proudly by Pauline Ferrari when she was a Youth Pioneer in the One Party State Dictatorship, when the Communists of Seychelles restricted overtly and openly basic human freedoms. This included the jailing of descendants, the exiling of many, and the acquisition of lands belonging to Seychellois. They argued that the acquisition of lands was necessary to redistribute land to the landless to correct historical injustices. That does not explain why they exiled so many Seychellois, and today, they do not have the right to vote as bona fide citizens of the land. Many as Dr. Jose Souyave, travel regularly to

Seychelles

, own business interests here, that are very substantial and pay more then their fair share of taxes, but cannot vote. It equates to taxation without representation, and the Communists, will be happy to know, that this very concept, is what led to the American Revolution in 1776, when the Colonists declared Independence from King George of the England.

Zonm Lib Statue - Representing oppression rather than freedom

Today, this is what June 5^th, has given us, Taxation without representation, it has given us a party that calls themselves, Lepep, and they say “Se Nou Ki Lepep”. Fair enough, but that represents if at all only 48% of the population legitimately, at best based on historical comparisons. The remaining percentages are scammed through rigging of the Voters List. We know it has been alleged and not denied, that as much as 5,000 votes can be rigged, and this last election a tremendous effort was made to rig an extra 2,000.

The opposition should unite, and demand that the sham elections be cancelled and run another one with UN and Commonwealth conducting the elections. I am 100% sure, James Michel will lose by a large substantial margin. In the meantime, a BOYCOTT of the National Assembly must be maintained and respected by all parties.

“Se Nou Ki Lepep”

The gross inference of “Se Nou Ki Le Pep”, is that if you do not support the Communists party of Seychelles, you do not form part of the people of

Seychelles

. This mental voyage that the Communist party has taken neglects to reflect accurately on the state of the nation, if it was made up of only their supporters.

In actuality, the country would be made up of the royal family Adam’s and Savy’s. Most of them are Communists, but they are the millionaire type, earning great wealth off the lard of national assets.

Anyone want to mess with Glenny? Or David? Or Little Rene (oops Francis)?

After that, there are the Faure’s, and Herminie’s who have become administrators. Beyond that, is a mass of bakka drinkers, and dust kicking dancers who shake their ass at anything red, with a poor level of productivity and a high level of social welfare dependency.

Danny Faure. Cuban Trained Future Leader????

Future Leader???? God help Seychelles

To put it nicely, the country would seize if the opposition are excluded from the Seychelles population.

Change State of Mind on June 18^th

By the time June 18^th, the National Day of the 3^rd Republic rolls around, it is evident to the President and the Cabinet, that they cannot face the challenges of National Bankruptcy, without the whole 100% of the population supporting program cuts, and efforts to increase national productivity.

By June 18^th, it is apparent, each year, the Communists come down from their clouds of June 5^th, and we start to witness the transformation of their multiple mental disorder as they appeal for reconciliation with the Nation.

Before June 18^th, they embarrassingly send out songs on the radio to tell the people subliminally to : “Koste”, or “Unite”, or even “put your problems and national failures in a corner and forget about them” (Chicco- nice jingle but advise that can come only from a fool).

June 18^th, A Cover Up For Failure

Our National Day has become a major effort to cover up our innate failures under the Communists. The parade is the same Communist parade show you would see in North Korea or Ukraine every year. The goose step is the same that Hitler used to march upon Europe in WWII.

Since we do not have enough soldiers anymore to make a parade, they toss in children into the march, Police, Fire Brigade, and some visiting military personnel that are in port from different countries.

This seems to cover up the failings of the defense forces well. Cars are washed and polished, and the President has a group of side cars to escort him alone. His wife has to take another vehicle to the parade. IMF should look into this highly autocratic expense and practice.

The side cars were donated from Morocco and these units could have been consigned to the Police, where they are badly needed, but they stay in an air conditioned garage all year long instead; another sign of failing, but this time it is the Police of their duties to reduce crime and increase patrols.

The Autocrat Speaks

This year, James Michel came out of his shell. With a divided opposition against him, and a faltering lead opposition not even threatening his bad ideas, even remotely, he was 100% himself.

It is in being himself that he allows us to DNA his autocrat style.

Michel called for another opposition, and not the one that exist now, the inference, being, he will replace the opposition. One does not get more autocratic then that, but he did. No leader in a democratic country can choose an opposition. That is a sham democracy, as Seychelles has become under Michel. It has come from his own mouth, not mine.

Michel set out an elaborate snakes and ladder of conditions the opposition must meet for him to engage in discussion with them. That is very autocratic. In which democracy does a leader set out conditions for discussions? Dialogue does not have conditions set to it? Who is Michel to set conditions? Is he some kind of super Citizen? I suppose in his own mind, he is.

Michel playing snakes & ladders

Michel said again, he will destroy Xenophobic ideas in

Seychelles

once and for all. This is highly autocratic in that he is overtly restricting the free flow of ideas and information in the society, a violation of the Human Rights Charter of the Seychelles Constitution, on National Day.

Michel is not much of a scholar, and seems to misunderstand the opposition’s ideas on foreigners in

Seychelles

. It is not being foreigner in

Seychelles

that the opposition opposes, it is the selling of passports and the selling of citizenship, which has been prolific under his autocrat rule that we find highly offensive and will never accept.

Michel selling our passport illegally to the likes of fugitive Krecjir and other criminals

So Michel not being a very good scholar, should be informed and be put on notice, ideas cannot be killed! That means, you cannot kill “Sesel Pou Seselwa”! You cannot shoot it. It is invincible and bullet proof. So put your AK-47 away.

Michel - The biggest gunner!

Similarly, you will be delighted to learn, that you cannot jail “Sesel Pou Seselwa”, by jailing a political leader. Did you not follow the South African Revolution and Nelson Mandela, Walter Susule story at University of Seychelles? If you did, it would have saved you a moment of intellectual self inflicted humiliation. I noticed the President of Tanzania was laughing throughout the speech, he must have found something very funny indeed.

After June 18^th National Day

Conveniently, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will be back after June 18^th National Day. After the side cars and luxury sedans and soldiers all put on a show to empower James Michel, the real boss will be back in town, calling the shots, under Parti le Pep: IMF.

No Water For Indian Ocean Games

In his June 18^th National Day speech, James Michel called for a victory for Seychelles at the Indian Ocean Games to be hosted by Seychelles, herself. I salute all the players, and wish them luck. But this year we have a slight problem, we seem to not have enough water for residents, and the arrival of IOG teams will coincide with the Seychelles tourism peak season.

Where will we get water for everyone, Mr. Michel?

It seems that while you were giving talks around the World on “global warming”, and “Sea Level Rise Foundation” as you rightly profess, you forgot in derelict fashion, one little detail at home: no provision for sufficient water for the people, and 85% leakage of pipes, which has nothing to do with global warming and nothing to do with the rise of sea levels!

End Game of National Personality Disorder

So for 11 months, Michel will say “Koste”, “Unitie”, “Leve Debourye”. Then next year, around June 5^th, we will hear it all over again, “Se Nou Ki Lepep”…..Le Pep se Nou”!

Now, if you think you will propel a micro island state out of national BANKRUPTCY with this type of split national personality disorder, you may be flying over the Cuckoo’s nest before your next IMF extended facility is extended to your government.

I suggest you seriously consider seeking medical attention to resolve these conflicting messages you are sending out to the people. You are confusing them and sending the potentially productive energy of a people, back into the barrel of bakka tubs for Five (5) more years!

Remember one thing Michel, before June 5^th, 1977, it was Seychellois that built State House, it was Seychellois masons that built Liberty House, where the Ministry of Finance sits, it was Seychellois that built the Catholic Mission. We were waking up and hustling ( Leve Debouye) long before you pulled guns on us and imposed Communism on us as a people.

But I know, to Communists, it all makes sense…..so the results will not differ anytime now or in the near future. So bring on the IMF and drop the devaluation on our heads again!

Seselwa Unite!

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

Christopher Gill

The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

2011-06-15T10:03:00.000+04:00

Seychelles

Communists Cloud of Failure Over Paradise

Sometimes I hate to say things because, they turn out to be true. I don’t know where this canning ability came from, but it has been with me most of my life, even when I was a child. I learned early on that I had to put it to use for good and not allow it to become a tool for evil.

Red There Is No Water !

For years I have written about the grave water problems in

Seychelles

. PUC has been under financed for years and even decades, three to be exact.

After the last elections in 2006, the SPPF Communists brought in French advisors from Suez Group, who were close friends of the late Michel Tretout, ex-ambassador from France, disgraced Fabrike, a shareholder in Casino hypermarket project to make assessments that local engineers had already made, and charged us Sr. 125 Million for a Two (2) year contract.

Michel Tretout

That money which was part of a greater scam, could have gone to replacing 50 year old rusting pipes that are responsible for the 85% leakage and loss of water being transferred from sources, to treatment plant to dam and consumer.

The 85% leakage for a public utility agency is poor performance and consequently, the PUC does not meet the 18% acceptable leakage rate to qualify for international financial assistance. That is why the water leaks and road breaking and repairing go on and on and on and we get less water every year. PL Communists ignored the water problem for decades. Today, we pay the price for this gross failure.

Red Where Are The Dams For Water?

The La Gogue Dam was built in the Mancham era, funded by the British, as was the Rochon Dam. Nothing has been done since to expand these dams or build new ones, and nothing has been done on Praslin to create a dam, though a natural dam exists. But the Communists use it to house a few terrapin turtles and some guppies, in case they ever need a voter. Smartest President in the world James Michel made the statement of they year last year when he quipped that "why build a dam when there is no rain water to put in it"!

Rochon Dam La Gogue Dam

Red Says Buildings Do Not Drink Water!

For years I have said that large hotel projects will not benefit

Seychelles

and we will risk losing her charm and unique beauty as the concrete jungles go up and adequate water supply is not captured and stocked.

Communists the world over, love to cut ribbons and set foundation stones. In

Seychelles

, they are not an exception. They cut every ribbon, lay every single foundation stone. It is as if they are the only ones that can do anything. They do this to divert the public’s attention to their real failures that affect us all.

James Michel - loves plaques and ribbons

While they build and push construction, we not only have gone bankrupt as a state, but now in 2011, the grand failures of these poorly conceptualized projects now glares over the most beautiful islands in the world, in great failure and great sacrifice to the natural beauty of Seychelles, something we always knew we had to protect and even our Constitution recognizes this inseparable obligation of the people to nature.

1. Shangri La Hotel on Long Island has been at a near stand still for over Two (2) years now. On occasion a little macadam is moved from the depot area on the left side to the right side. No water provision has been made for this project. Bungalows are not roofed and cement block skeletons grace this island in the St. Anne Marine Park, and there is no water source on the island to support such a foul idea.

2. Eden Island is plunking along, but is showing signs of desperation, as the extended dry season sent the landscaper to the yards of Providence Industrial next door, looking for water tanks that were never installed. This project is single handedly responsible for the drying up of La Gogue Dam to low levels more then any other residential hotel project. La Gogue was at 45% capacity yesterday. In Thirty (30) days La Gogue will drop to 12% if no rain fall is registered and IOT may close, Seybrew may stop making beer, but Eden Island will still continue building? PUC should have Eden Island source its own water with its own desalination plants and its own storage, but how will it do that, when it is in front of a marine park?

Eden Island

3. The Raffles Resort blunder has shown its grand failure now. Since it has opened, few guests have turned up. Those that have turned up have registered their complaints on travel blogs. As much as 450 workers are fed Four (4) times a day and the hotel is reportedly losing $600,000.00 per month. Locals line up along the road at night to drink beer, play music and watch the guests take a dip in publicly displayed dipping pools, as they try in vain to enjoy their evenings at the ill conceived concrete jungle monstrosity in the heart of Praslin.

Raffles Hotel on Praslin - An abortion & ecological disaster on Praslin

It has been rumored that Prince Talal blames the marketing department for the folly. But no marketing effort will be able to retrieve this ill conceived hotel project that had green lights before designs were even presented to the Planning Authority. Another Communist basket case approval.

Prince Talal

Praslin has struggled with water supply to accommodate the 450 -500 new workers, and demand drawn by Raffles. Yet Raffles has not contributed substantially to improving the water situation on Praslin. It has all been a big free ride, so to speak. They have destroyed some water sources, other hotels used in the dry season, and tapped into rivers, without PUC prior approval.

Red The Barrels Are Everywhere!

As a direct consequence of PUC failure to deliver water effectively to

Seychelles

, blue, green, grey barrels are turning up every where, and anywhere, and ruining the natural beauty of the islands. The tanks have a look of desperation to them and send alarm bells out in the minds of visitors.

Water barrels anyone?

No water, but PUC trucks used for Party Lepep rally

The Communists actively encourage this practice, instead of coming up with proposals and tax rebates to place tanks under ground. State House itself will be graced with different color tanks in no time.

I visited a number of hotels this week, and found polyethylene pipes all over the place, as hoteliers battled to get secondary water sources.

Seychelles

has sufficient water supplies, we should never have been in this situation.

Red We Do Not Bathe !!

Countless families are going to sleep at night throughout

Seychelles

, without enough water to bathe. Some use bottles to bathe and keep up hygiene. Our children are reporting to hospital with flu and other related symptoms.

Only a dream in Seychelles

This is a signature failure of the SPPF PL Communists. The situation is not temporary as they will have us believe. It has been ongoing in parts of North Mahe for over One (1) year. In La Misere now, it is pushing Two (2) years, an area that always had water, but for the gross negligence of ASCON the contractor of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nayan.

Sheikh Khalifa to the rescue with 3 desalination plants so that Michel and the Sheikh can have a bath

Red Loves Desalination Plants

The Communists love desalination plants. In early 2000 decade, they bought a number of them before Rene retired and they were over invoiced. The technicians brought in said they would be costly to run and maintain. They were right. The existing desalination plants have been not functioning at 100% capacity, but perhaps 50% capacity or less, due to filter and pump maintenance issues.

At the run up to the Presidential Elections, sham elect President James Michel, picked up the phone and called Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed al Nayan, autocrat ruler of UAE and asked for help with more desalination plants.

Sheikh Khalifa - Michel's best friend

Sheikh Khalifa, always the willing friend of Michel for obvious reasons, sent out Three (3) new plants being installed, to restore capacity of production to what the existing plants should produce if they were maintained properly. Sheikh Khalifa could have sent some pump parts and membrane filters by DHL , and it would have had the same effect in capacity for water production.

As this water crisis cuts into our lives, families will suffer greatly. The economy will suffer greatly, our image as a destination will suffer, and in the end, we will all collectively, pay the price for 34 years of failed policy to address the water demands of

Seychelles

Joel Morgan - The Minister responsible for water and also for the Delo Kaka disaster

Start digging for water under James Michel, the sham elect President!

Back to the stone age…… before the days of our proud Corsaire descendants who came to these shores, with the can do attitude and created a community with our pirate ancestors and slaves alike, from all shores and they all said: “we will do what we must… to survive”!

Seselwa Unite!

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

Christopher Gill

ETN interviews Joel Morgan - Seychelles Minister for Home Affairs, Environment, Energy & Transport

2011-06-15T08:56:00.000+04:00

MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS, ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND TRANSPORT GOVERNMENT

eTN speaks with

Seychelles

Minister Hon. Joel Morgan

BY WOLFGANG H. THOME, ETN | JUN 14, 2011

Joel Morgan

(eTN) - On occasion, an opportunity arises to interview high-ranking officials during my many trips across Eastern Africa or to the Indian Ocean islands, and recently, during a visit to the Seychelles, the Hon. Joel Morgan consented to be interviewed for eTN’s Executive Talk, discussing a range of issues, including the "Problem from Hell," aka ocean terrorism, aka Somali piracy, where the Minster expressed strong views, which should be embraced by more and clearly saying that defeating piracy is a matter of national survival for the Seychelles.

eTN: Mr. Minister, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you about a range of issues of interest to eTN’s readers. Do explain your role in government, as there is often a lot more behind the title of a ministry than meets the eye, as after all, you hold a wide brief in terms of the portfolio - Home Affairs, Environment, Energy, and Transport.

MINISTER MORGAN: To me it is very exciting in terms of the work that I do, and I personally love it. I find it very, very stimulating to be involved in so many areas and to have a chance to make a difference in so many key areas. For instance, in my work responsible as Minister of Environment I have a chance to steer the whole environmental management sector of our country, and I can make sure that there is continued protection of what we all hold so dear in our hearts and what is basically the mainstay of our tourism-oriented economy, and that is the environment. We are, in fact, moving forward to protect our pristine natural environment even more, with the soon-to-be-made declaration that 51 percent of our territory will become a legally-protected area. Already we lead the world in this regard with 47.2 percent of our territory being protected as marine national parks and terrestrial national parks.In this ministerial capacity, I also deal with all issues of climate change, which is crucially important to a small island state like the Seychelles. It presents a huge challenge to our country in terms of our water resources [author’s comment: the Seychelles depend overwhelmingly on rain for their water consumption, and the changes in rain patterns only recently made it necessary to double their desalination capacity from 2.5 million gallons to 5 million gallons production, courtesy of a gift by Abu Dhabi] but the mitigation of climate change impact on our coastal zones is another big area of concern; sea level rise, subsequent storm flooding, and tsunamis – the latter not connected to climate change but a real concern to us – are very key issues, considering that the largest part of our 86,000 strong population live along the coastal areas. Nature conservation is part of this portfolio’s brief, both marine as well as terrestrial conservation. Here the work that I do, the decisions taken here with other colleagues in government, do make a visible difference about development of some areas and the preservation of others. This all has a significant impact on the future or our country, on our children’s future, and our country’s environment, to maintain it for future generations, so I enjoy being in the midst of it today and being able to make a positive impact.

Another key sector of my responsibility is transport, a key to our economy in both the maritime and aviation sectors. The maritime sector is hugely important for our economy, for imports and exports as we depend a lot on importation of goods but also for our fishing industry. A lot of maritime traffic in our waters is connected with fishing, bringing fish to Port Victoria for processing, and then re-exportation. Being able to set transportation policies for our country and helping shape the future of such an important part of our lives, our economy, is a very exciting aspect of my work here. To improve access to the rest of the world, we are re-developing Port Victoria and also our main fishing port for better maritime services, and to move on to air-transport, we are also in an advanced stage to re-develop our international airport. This is a key for our tourism industry, which depends almost entirely on the airlines bringing in our tourist visitors but also allows our own people mobility, and we are a very mobile people with as many as 35,000 trips undertaken by Seychellois going abroad. Being in the middle of the Indian Ocean, so far away from everywhere else, means we depend on good air access and that we have improved a lot in the most recent past through an open air access policy.

I deal often directly with airlines when we negotiate bilateral agreements, and we had great success in bringing more airlines to Seychelles and others now flying a lot more often than was the case in the past. Emirates will soon be coming here twice a day, Qatar Airways is now going daily, Etihad will start with four flights in November, and our own national airline, Air Seychelles, remains a key partner for our tourism industry and to ensure constant access to key markets and destinations. The immediate plans are to start a codeshare arrangement into the Far East with China to open that market with direct access and, thereafter, negotiating similar access to Korea and Japan.

But my work as Transport Minister does not end there, I am also responsible for national transportation, public transport on and across the islands, where we have overcome past problems and modernized our bus fleets, added a lot more vehicles, responded to demands for new scheduled, new routes, and now offer reliable and affordable public transport to our citizens and our visitors, too.

Energy is another part of my portfolio, and here we are again set to become a global leader in the way we will introduce sustainable energy uses in the future when we implement our new policies. We want to move progressively away from the use of fossil fuels and tap into renewable energy sources like solar, ideal on our island with so much sunshine across the year. This is a passion of mine, a personal passion. We will start with the island of La Digue, which we intend to remodel into an island of pure sustainable and renewable energy use. There we are looking at wind energy, solar energy for lighting and hot water production, and going further by introducing and eventually only using hybrid or electric vehicles for transportation, replacing conventional diesel and petrol engines.

eTN: But the oxcarts on La Digue will remain?

MINISTER MORGAN: Yes, the La Digue oxcarts will remain in place. We intend to champion the use of renewable energy sources globally and will shortly install, with the help and financial support from our friends in the UAE, an 8.5 MW wind turbine plant, which should come on line by the end of this year and is then followed by a solar installation feeding electricity during day hours into the national grid. But we are not stopping there. We are pursuing a policy to encourage our households to install solar water heating and solar panels to get their own electricity from and will, with the help of international finance institutions, create a fund to give grants to Seychellois willing to convert to fully renewable energy use for their homes.

eTN: Have you already mandated the use of energy-saving bulbs to save electricity?

MINISTER MORGAN: We, in fact, did this a while ago already through incentives to consumers to switch to compact fluorescent bulbs by handing out replacement energy savers while at the same time removing all taxes and duties on the import of such energy savers to promote a "greener Seychelles." That went hand in hand with promoting the use of LPG gas cookers to reduce electricity use during peak hours, and there, too, we took out taxes and duties for equipment to make it affordable for our people, for hotels and resorts, and restaurants.

All these measures are aimed to keep Seychelles green and reduce our carbon footprint in coming years; we want to spearhead it globally where we can to show that here, where climate change will have its first big impact, we are doing what it takes and what we can to play our part in the global fight against climate change. And holding the portfolios of both energy and environment also made another project easier for which I pushed very hard, as we are now starting to move from pure landfills for rubbish disposal to converting part of it into energy, which again will produce electricity in the future.

And the last key area of my responsibility, which I have taken on since last year and which is very challenging, is Home Affairs, comprising national security, police, prisons, border control and immigration, civil service, and, of course, the issue of piracy, which overlaps with Foreign Affairs and Defense.

eTN: You have at times been described as the "anti-piracy minister;" do you think this media slogan does your work any justice?

MINISTER MORGAN: I think is does do my work justice, yes I do. I am dedicating a lot of my time, nationally and internationally, to this problem and to combat it. I am doing it because it threatens my country, it is putting my country at risk, and the President has given me this responsibility. I am giving it my heart and soul to bring on board the international community, to sensitize our partners, to mobilize and galvanize support for Seychelles. Our President, in fact, championed the fight against piracy, and he was the first and remains at the forefront of our active diplomacy around the world to build a coalition with our partners to fight this menace. Piracy today is the single biggest threat to the entire region, and, in fact, not just to our region but to the entire international trade, which passes through our waters, our region using ships to import and export goods from around the world.

eTN: A major naval coalition was, of course, formed a few years ago to combat ocean terrorism, which is the phrase I use to describe the menace...

MINISTER MORGAN: I entirely agree with that!

eTN continues: ...which is perpetrated by a very small section of Somalis and their financiers and middle men, which has led to the unjustified broad condemnation of the Somali people as a whole. What has the naval coalition done for the Seychelles to secure your waters, to protect your economic exclusion zone, and what significant material support like naval and aerial assets, training, and other measures have friendly countries given to Seychelles to allow the country to also mount its own defense?

MINISTER MORGAN: Our partners have been very positive in the help they have provided to Seychelles, because they have seen that we are very proactive in our stand and reaction. We have taken and continue to take a very strong stand against piracy and to protect our national integrity and our rights, the rights of shipping to peacefully use the sea lanes, and as a result of President Michel’s leadership and his policies, the global community has come together and helps us, supports us. Our closest friends and allies have responded to our needs very well. For instance, the UAE have donated 5 naval assets to us, 5 ships our coast guard uses to patrol our waters alongside the naval coalition vessels to improve safe passage and security for ships. Previously, the UAE also donated an aircraft to us for surveillance, doing daily flights to gather information and direct surface vessels. India has just donated a new Dornier surveillance aircraft to Seychelles and has underwritten the use of another one until the new aircraft comes off the assembly line for delivery, also allowing for training of our own personnel. This aircraft is actually armed and contains state-of-the-art equipment assisting us in pinpointing positions and comes to the aid of vessels in distress. In addition, India has donated to us 2 big navy vessels, which we use alongside the others to patrol and safeguard our waters, our fishermen, and our islands.

The UAE is also assisting us in building a totally new major coast guard base for our ships and as a control and command center complemented by a radar surveillance system covering all our key islands to allow for early detection of any threat to our national waters and our national security, be it pirates or other groups.

China

is delivering to us 2 Y12 aircraft, also fully and state-of-the-art equipped, which will very much expand our reach and allow for constant around-the-clock airborne monitoring, surveillance, and directions for NavFor and Seychellois surface ships.

eTN: Is it a matter of national survival for the Seychelles to defeat the ocean terrorists?

MINISTER MORGAN: It is a matter of national survival for some of the key aspects of our national economy, tourism, fishing, and trade. We depend heavily on ships moving freely across our waters, into our port, and transiting with their cargos to Asia, to Africa, and beyond.

eTN: I was pleased to see a large cruise liner calling on Port Victoria today, and I understand this is now a very rare event compared with the old days when Port Victoria was a "must visit" destination for any cruise ship sailing the Indian Ocean. Security assessments have changed the classic Indian Ocean cruises from or to the Seychelles via Mombasa, Zanzibar, Mauritius, and South Africa, and all the exotic places in between, and the cruise companies are very afraid of one of their cruise liners coming under attack or even being captured, especially in view of several pirate groups being closely linked with militants like Al Shabab, sharing proceeds, and in case of a cruise ship capture, likely sharing the hostages.

MINISTER MORGAN: I agree with you there, about the links and the sharing of proceeds.

eTN: What options does the Seychelles government have to secure the sea lanes to bring the cruises back, to return 10 of millions of US dollars in tourism and related revenues to the Indian Ocean ports from Victoria to Mombasa and along the Eastern coastline of Africa. Is it possible to "shadow" the passenger cruisers from when they enter critical waters to the time they reach port?

MINISTER MORGAN: This is not viable, the area is vast is huge, which the different forces patrol and the naval assets are spread out already, so allocating additional surface assets is not possible. However, what has proven to be very, very effective and which has been pioneered here in the Seychelles, is the "vessel protection detachment," which is putting trained and armed personnel on board of these ships until they reach safe waters again. We started this with fishing boats, our own boats, but also the Spanish and the French, and it has proven an effective deterrent against pirates capturing any of those boats so protected. After analyzing the results, we are now pushing for more such detachments to be placed on ships because the deterrent does work - not one of the ships so protected was captured by pirates.

We are now talking to cruise lines and are telling them that as they are losing a lot of market and revenue by avoiding our area, avoiding calling on the Seychelles, that with the right measures this is doable. Yes, there is an ongoing risk, but it can be minimized, reduced to almost zero, with the right precautions.

eTN: It is our understanding that you have UAVs based at the Mahe International Airport, none of which are presently armed. They could be armed?

MINISTER MORGAN: Yes, they could be armed.

eTN: Do you have any plans in that direction to increase your deterrent and ability to respond to incidents or prevent incidents, increase the risks for pirates to actually come out from their own territorial waters and try it on?

MINISTER MORGAN: The UAVs belong to the Unites States Army, and they are here under an agreement we have with the United States of America to operate missions for anti-piracy surveillance. They principally gather intelligence information, which they feed back to the US and share with us here in the Seychelles and NavFor members about locations of suspected pirate motherships and skiffs. The agreements we have in place right now with them does not provide for the arming of the UAVs at this point in time.

But what Seychelles now has is our own aerial assets, aircraft which are armed like the Dornier we have from India, and the new one we are getting from them. And under our own rules of engagement, we can and will use armed force against pirates when our own aircraft are involved in surveillance or coming to the assistance of vessels in distress and when the crew deems it necessary to either deter or neutralize the threat posed by such pirates.

eTN: This week the Seychelles Regatta takes place using catamarans, not the "tall ships." It is a big business elsewhere in the world and before ocean terrorism became an issue, many round-the-world regattas stopped over in the Seychelles, bringing visitors and revenue. Will you in the future actively promote a return of the big regattas to Seychelles and will you be able to secure them from the air?

MINISTER MORGAN: We would like to see a return of these ships to our waters, however, at present, with the limited assets we still have at our disposal, ensuring the complete safety of yachts and their crews would be difficult to assure right now, but for the future, we want to be in total control of our waters and are working towards that objective.

eTN: You mentioned you have your own rules of engagement here in the Seychelles. Under these rules you have staged several successful rescue missions for which you must be congratulated, of course. It must have taken some courage to actually give your commanders on site the go and leave it to them to act as they were trained to do. You used your new naval and aerial assets well and were widely praised for your robust response, but you were also criticized, including by a few members of the naval coalition calling it a "risky strategy." One particular source of criticism suggested it would cause a hardening of actions by pirates when they have captives on board after seizing a vessel. Will you in the face of such critiques continue with your robust handling of pirates when they are encountered on the ocean?

MINISTER MORGAN: Most definitely we will continue with our line of robust responses. In fact, we will not only continue, but intensify, our responses and actions. Our message to the Somali pirates is very clear: you come into our waters, you come to threaten us, our territory, our citizens, our livelihood, our economy – the consequences will be deadly.

eTN: Why, in your opinion, then are certain members of the naval coalition so loath to engage the ocean terrorists as decisively as you do? A few have stopped pondering and diddling about and equally started to engage them robustly, too, but generally with the vast superiority of assets and equipment, for monitoring and surveillance they have, they let the Chandlers be taken hostage standing by watching as London did not give the commander on site the approval to move in and prevent it. Doesn’t that show that the naval coalition needs to sit down and agree on a new set of robust rules of engagement, leaving the decisions to their commanders on site rather than making political decisions in the European capitals?

MINISTER MORGAN: I believe so, in fact, I have been propagating a change of the rules of engagement by the different partners in the naval coalition and amongst naval detaches directly deployed to the area to safeguard the shipping of that particular country. We must stop pondering and must move on to action. Had we done that a year ago already, I firmly believe that the Somali pirates would have seen a really strong deterrent and it would have had a big impact on the level of attacks we have seen since then. They would have known very clearly, if they take innocent people hostage at open sea, then they would face deadly consequences. The fact that this has not happened yet has been like an open door...

eTN: Has it encouraged the ocean terrorists?

MINISTER MORGAN: Of course it has, of course, it has been like an open door for them, and even if they are captured at sea, caught in a skiff, they are disarmed and put ashore in

Somalia

, they are back on the ocean within a week. Here in Seychelles, we have evidence that people we have captured were involved in previous hijackings, got caught and were released back to Somalia and went back out to sea again.

eTN: Uganda, where I come from, has the most troops based in Somalia under the AU’s peace keeping force, and our President has on several occasions demanded that Somalia has to be under a total sea and air blockade to have the mission succeed first before embarking on the economic reconstruction of Somalia, create jobs for young people instead of see them join Al Shabab or the pirates. Do you think a naval and air blockade would help you in your fight on the ocean when the militants and pirates are actually uprooted from their safe havens on land?

MINISTER MORGAN: We need to be smart how we tackle the problem of Somalia and the problem of piracy. It is clear that the state of anarchy in Somalia has to be brought under control, and the structures of government have to come in to stabilize the country, to have governance, to have infrastructure rebuilt to have the economy restart, create employment and opportunities, although this is a long-term process.

The immediate problem we have is dealing with terrorism from Al Shabab within Somalia and its links with Al Qaida, which have now been proven and, of course, also the problem of piracy, which in my mind is also linked to financing Al Shabab. I am convinced that one way or another the proceeds or part of the proceeds from piracy, the ransom payments, not only go to the businessmen who are behind the piracy, but they are also paying Al Shabab for various favours, for protection, for their rackets and their scams. What we need to do is to stop the flow of arms into Somalia. This is big money! Big international companies, which supposedly offer security services within Somalia are in my opinion involved in the arms trade into

Somalia

...

eTN: In arms trafficking?

MINISTER MORGAN: In arms trafficking, both small and big arms. I think the international community, especially the countries of the EU, the United States and other countries like Russia, for instance, need to tackle this problem, take it very seriously, as well as the UN, of course. They all need to clamp down on the supply of arms into Somalia. The second thing which needs to happen is that international institutions involved in combating financial crimes need to go after the money flow, after the people who finance piracy. Because piracy has become a business. It has become a business for people anywhere, they sit in Europe, they sit in all four corners of the globe. They are putting money into financing piracy because it provides huge returns. It is no longer just a question of pirates getting into skiffs, going on the ocean to hijack ships for ransom, it has become an "organized crime."

eTN: The capabilities exist to do this, there are global agreements to disrupt and end the financing of terrorism...

MINISTER MORGAN: Yes, this is just another face of terrorism! The money which ends up in the hands of financiers of piracy is used to traffic narcotics, to traffic arms, to traffic humans – it fuels the international terrorism process. We must not be naïve and say these are just people making money, yes, they are making money, they are profiteering from piracy, but they are using such money to pay for other things, as organized crime syndicates.

eTN: So you think those syndicates and godfathers have a clear agenda?

MINISTER MORGAN: Evidently they do, and whoever believes otherwise must be naïve!

eTN: In recent months, pirates have landed and been arrested in Tanzania and other parts of Eastern Africa, even Indian Ocean island it has been reported. Those in Tanzania were spotted and arrested as they came ashore trying to commandeer fuel and supplies. The Seychelles with 115 islands and the extensive geographical spread across the Indian Ocean is a vast area to secure. Can you assure the public that your islands are safe and you have put all measures in place to ensure no pirates are going to land on your shores, your islands, and that your own people and the tourist visitors are safe?

MINISTER MORGAN: I can assure you that our people and visitors are safe. We have in place all required plans and taken measures to effectively and efficiently tackle any attempted landing by any pirates on our inhabited islands, and even on uninhabited islands we now have measures in place to prevent such. I am not saying it is impossible, please let that be very clear, but we have done everything humanly possible to prevent such an incident from happening in the Seychelles, and we are confident we have the ability to deal with such situations.

eTN: You mentioned earlier on that you are also responsible for transport, in particular air transport. Is the government, your ministry, giving any incentives to foreign airlines like 5th freedom rights to have them come to the Seychelles, to fly more often into Mahe? Emirates are now at 12 flights a week, soon going to double daily, Qatar Airways coming daily and Etihad planning to start with 4 flights a week from November. And, of course, the inevitable question on Air Seychelles, will the airline be privatized as has long been speculated or will it for the time being remain in the hands of government as a strategic national asset..

MINISTER MORGAN: We are presently studying the issue of 5th freedom traffic, mainly because we had requests from certain airlines to be granted such rights as part of renewals of existing bilateral air service agreements. We have to look at that very, very carefully, because we cannot compromise and endanger the viability and financial ability of our national airline, Air Seychelles. We believe in fair competition here, we believe in an open air access policy here in the Seychelles, but we still have to be very careful about giving 5th freedom rights to other airlines.

Air Seychelles is our backbone, our kingpin as far as air connections are concerned for our tourism industry, so we must be careful not to put our own national airline at risk. This is why we are taking our time to comprehensively study the implications of 5th freedom rights for other airlines, for the routes they want those rights for, and I believe we are right in taking our time to look at all aspects and implications. As to Air Seychelles and privatization, at this point in time, we have no plans to privatize or divest of our national airline.

Air Seychelles, as far as government is concerned, can seek out or go into strategic partnerships with suitable other airlines, and this can involve even a strategic investment in Air Seychelles, but we have no plans to divest ourselves from our national airline. For us, Air Seychelles is so important to our economy, so we cannot say you are privatized, go fend for yourself financially, and otherwise, this is not possible. Air Seychelles is a strategic asset to us just the same way as our public utility corporation is a strategic asset which, too, we will not divest of or privatize.

eTN: How far would a "strategic investment" go, 24 percent?

MINISTER MORGAN: It would be a minority investment, of course, because government wants to maintain a majority stake in Air

Seychelles

for reasons of having the national interest prevail.

eTN: The Seychelles Tourist Board, after restructuring and re-organization, has put "Brand Seychelles" on the map, on the global map...

MINISTER MORGAN: Yes they have, they have done an excellent job...

eTN: Are the government’s structural changes and reforms working, and what more is needed to build the Seychelles of tomorrow, considering the example of the tourist board and the experience drawn from that major reform?

MINISTER MORGAN: I think the way for the Seychelles of tomorrow, the way President Michel has explained his vision for Seychelles in his re-election manifesto, in his program, is an expansion of economic activity in our country. Basically, Seychellois, alone or even with partners from overseas, need to become the main actors in the development or our country. Government will provide conducive policies, will facilitate through appropriate mechanisms, will act as an enhancer of what the country’s private sector is involved in, and will provide infrastructure. What we want to see, and taking the example of the tourist board, the people of

Seychelles

take ownership of the future development of their country, and we will be there to help, facilitate, and support, and they are doing that already in many sectors of the economy.

eTN: You talk of the President’s vision; President Michel was just re-elected for another 5-year term with a very convincing majority giving him the mandate to carry on with economic and social change. The Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA) is maybe a good example to further that thought. STA is being expanded considerably, is being given a completely new campus, to train young Seychellois to get jobs and start a career in the tourism industry. Are you planning similar initiatives for other sectors of the economy like fishing or trade to empower your young citizens, give them the skills and abilities to build a future for themselves?

MINISTER MORGAN: We are doing this with the Concessionary Credit Agency and the Development Bank of Seychelles, we are, for instance, helping the food production sector, the farmers, the fishermen, and we are doing a huge amount for the small business sector in all forms like repairs and maintenance contractors, cleaning contracts in our districts, the people involved in graphic art, music. The entire private sector’s small busineses, including catering, take aways, or the craft sector, you name it, and government is putting in place, the President and his team are putting in place the right structures and so we can tell our people about the opportunities which now exist in the private sector, here is available financing, go for it.

eTN: Minister, in closing, you have been described to me as a rising star in politics, very well respected, and one person said even admired. Is the sky the limit for you?

MINISTER MORGAN: I am a very humble person; I dedicate myself to my President and to my country. I made a decision many years back to work for my country, in all humility.

I am not ambitious in the sense that I aspire to higher political calling and office, and I would rather let my work and action speak for themselves.
Would sometime in the distant future come the possibility for higher office, I would consider that with all the humility, but what drives me is not that, I am not driven by power or an agenda of self advancement, but I am driven by an agenda to work for my country based on service. This comes from my heart.

eTN: Thank you for your time Minister, on behalf of the entire team at eTurboNews.

MINISTER MORGAN: And I thank you and eTurboNews for the support you extend to the Seychelles – it is hugely important what you put out there and has a huge readership, and it is fair and balanced in their views and presents a picture of Seychelles as it really is. I personally believe in fair and balanced reporting and for that I am very grateful indeed.

Le Corsaire Restaurant Seychelles Burns - Fire Brigade & Joel Morgan Responsible

2011-06-12T23:55:00.000+04:00

Le Corsaire Restaurant in Belombre burnt down yesterday due to gross incompetency on the part of the Seychelles Fire Brigade and the Minister responsible for that service - Joel Morgan.

The beautiful Le Corsaire Restaurant prior to the fire

Ironically, the Fire Brigade was already on site putting out a fire on the other side of the road when sparks flew out of control and ignited the thatched roof of Le Corsaire Restaurant.

Sadly, the fire trucks ran out of water and then their pumps stopped working after they tried to pump water from the sea. The end result is what we see below:

What's left of the Corsaire Restaurant after the disaster

The minister responsible (JOEL MORGAN) should resign now. Just imagine another 5 years of gross incompetency in our country.

Viral Dhanjee Moves To Void Seychelles Sham Elections

2011-06-03T20:39:00.001+04:00

Dhanjee Moves To Void Seychelles Sham Elections

Mr. Viral Dhanjee has filed his Petition before the Constitutional Court of Seychelles to void and nullify the entire Presidential Elections of 2011, for being denied the right to participate in the democratic process by the Electoral Commissioner, contrary to guarantees under the Seychelles Human Rights Charter.

Constitutional Court in Conspiracy To Sham Elections

Mr. Dhanjee won a case before the Constitutional Courts of Seychelles, wherein the Three (3) panel judge ruled that he has a constitutional right to participate in the affairs of state. However, in conspiracy with the Executive Branch of government under James Michel, the Constitutional Court prescribe no remedy for the violation and breach of Mr. Dhanjee’s rights.

The Constitution of Seychelles is a modern document that unlike many other constitutions, it prescribes remedies for violation of human rights and individual rights. The Court went conveniently blind, and conveniently forgot how to read the Constitution of Seychelles.

It clearly was not an error nor was it incompetence, because the Judge reading the judgment was no other than Justice Bernadin Renaud, the person who officiated over the drafting of the Seychelles Constitution. He knows every violation of right must have a remedy. The Constitutional Court has Plenary Jurisdiction to resolve such issues. If they have any integrity, they are powerful. If they lack integrity, they fail us all.

Courts in The Sham

The Viral Dhanjee case along with the MSR case for party registration has blown open the Courts of Seychelles conspiracy with the Executive Branch to prop up the sham regime of James Alix Michel. MSR case is on appeal as well. In MSR case, the Attorney General cited not one case law, and won the case. The Judge took no Judicial Notice of the Fundamental Human Rights Charter of the Constitution of Seychelles. He even inferred conduct and action by mere speculation.

Court of Appeal In Conspiracy To Sham Elections

On Appeal to stop the elections, Mr. Dhanjee faced Justice Francis Macgregor and his request to stop the Presidential Elections of 2011 was denied on the argument of the “Balance of Convenience”. Anyone who has any knowledge of Constitutional law will know that the “Balance of Convenience Test” does not apply to fundamental human rights. With this erroneous decision, the courts can rule that the Balance of Convenience” made it appropriate to kill a person that was running away from the Police.

Another erroneous error by Justice Macgregor that calls into question the independence of the Judiciary in Seychelles with red lights, is the decision to allow the Attorney General to file an Affidavit in his own name, on behalf of the Electoral Commissioner who did not file an Affidavit, though he is a Defendant Respondent in the case.

Justice Macgregor accepted a substituted Affidavit in the name of Mr. Ronny Govinden the Attorney General. In any democratic, law abiding society no judge would, even if he was biased, allow such flawed documentation to be filed by the State Counsel.

In any State that is democratic, a State Counsel filing such erroneous documents to balance a human rights case would be terminated immediately. Instead, what did we see after the Sham Election results? The Attorney General lining up to kiss the Sham elected President on the lawn of State House as if the Oscar Awards were up and the Best Actors were being rewarded and recognized.

Void Sham Elections of 2011

Mr. Dhanjee’s case to void the elections of 2011 will be heard on June 14^th, 2011. If the Constitutional Court is truly independent, he will win his case and elections will be declared null and void Ab Initio because a candidate that should have been on the ballot paper was missing and there was reasonable time to have placed him on the Presidential Ballot Paper.

These cases have exposed the rig process and the sham elections better than any Commonwealth Observer Report could do justice to

Seychelles

precarious situation wherein Shiek Khalifa has pumped over $200 Million to salvage a failing Communist regime. Only the attention of the international community can bring

Seychelles

back to normalcy at this point.

As we wait for the court ruling, we are already in a One Party State, and there is no official functioning opposition.

Seychelles

is coming apart at the seams and Sheik Khalifa is pumping money into her, under the “Sesel Pou Arab “ policy of Sham Elect President James Michel.

We must now call for a new constitutional conference roundtable for new laws and new rules to be enacted and put in place. Then we will pass that and then we can have decent civilized elections, without vote rigging and election sham.

SNP is duty bound to Boycott the PL until a Constitutional Conference is duly announced. Nothing else will do at this point.

We must step up the campaign to Boycott key activities and key crony businesses.

James Michel has wiped out the Ferrari car with a SHAM!

Seselwa Unite!

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

2011-06-03T20:32:00.000+04:00

Seychelles

Sham Elections Move To One Party State

No sooner than the British Royal couple Prince William and Catherine of Cambridge left Seychelles, the results of the rigged election and sham process by the Communists surfaced for the entire world to see.

Quickly Swear in the Sham President

As quickly as the rigged elections in

Seychelles

were shammed with the help of the appointed Electoral Commissioner, the Sham President Elect James Michel held ceremonies at State House on the grass, inviting ex-wives, current wives and future wives to attend. In the back row from the women, one could see the religious and the diplomatic corps that seemed to keep a distance from the fanfare and a stricken frown on their faces as the kissing went on.

Swear in The Sham Council of Ministers in a Hurry

This week, the Cabinet of Ministers were sworn in, minus one Jacquelin Dugasse who no longer needs a Minister's salary to enjoy the rich and famous lifestyle he has now acquired under Party Lepep. All those that lined up to kiss the Communist President, were re-instated in their posts. The boot lickers that sold out from the opposition were not seen in the line up. They must have been at home watching the event, and wondering what their future had in store for them.

A word of advice to the “sell outs”: when you make a deal with the devil, the devil is always in the details. Don’t say I did not tell you so, I did.

As Christians we will all pray for you all and your family for liberation from mental slavery under the Communists. When you are down, sing a song of “Freedom”. Sometimes, it is all you really ever have.

No Opposition in National Assembly

There was no opposition (SNP) in the National Assembly this week. They have promised the People of Seychelles, that they will not to go back to the National Assembly where laws and national issues are debated until the One Party Electoral Laws that have not changed materially for Seventeen (17 years as per Commonwealth recommendations and SADC be so amended to allow a genuinely free fair level playing field for all parties.

This bold but necessary and overdue move by the SNP is heroic on their part if they stick to their guns, and do not waiver and change their minds and give us another lame excuse why they cannot stay out of the National Assembly.

Judging from past experience, I will not hold my breath on the matter. The No. 2 mentality if heavily and deeply engrained in SNP leadership DNA, they like to lose. Hence why we had a Three (3) man opposition race in the election and encouraged it, by ignoring my pleas for a united opposition for years now.

They must change leadership to have any hope as a party. When that happens, I will be happy to work with new dynamic pro-active, leadership to bring about change. We do not have to lose every Five (5) years, when we can win everyday!

“Attitude” is that little thing that makes a big difference, in an organization.

Enter One Party State Seychelles

This counter reaction to rigged elections and a sham process by the Communist Party of Seychelles, now takes Seychelles back in a One Party State. You will recall MSR was denied registration as a party. Viral Dhanjee was kicked out of the corridors of the Electoral Commissioners office, denied to stand as an Independent Candidate. The Courts conspired with the Communists to enforce these arbitrary and capricious decisions.

Autocracy Rules Us

James Michel the sham election President has now turned a chapter and become an autocratic leader. The evidence of this evolving autocracy is evident to the international community.

Soon when Michel makes a phone call to a supplier, we will get a press release. This practice is similar to his friend Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed al Nayan’s manner in which he runs his government. Michel is ignoring how Rene did things or tried to improve, and imitates what Khalifa does, though without the same purse. We are faced with a reality today, that Michel could be worse for

Seychelles

than Rene himself at this point. He runs the country like a Ten (10) year old behind a Ferrari, ignoring sensitivities that hold the country together like little fabric to a cloth. Left unfettered,

Seychelles

will come apart under James Michel's watch.

Already the mountains behind Ephelia Hotel Port Glaud are burning on fire. La Misere, mountains, near Khalifa’s residence burns. My Office annex has been set aflame. Lydia Jumeau’s car was set a blaze in the darkness of the night. Last night, human bones were found at Intendance Beach planted in the beach sand, next to Banyan Tree Hotel. The head of what appears to be a missing worker at Ephelia Hotel, has been found this week at the bottom of the sea not far from Ephelia Hotel.

Before elections, MSR truck was shot by a 9mm gun by State House agent.

I demanded a settlement in the matter and it has been ignored. I demand a settlement again. As I do for the breaking into the MSR office and stealing of our campaign materials and office equipment.

Think twice; when you decide you want to abuse power, man. The days of Idi Amin Da Da are over. If you think you will pull a Sheik Khalifa on us, you better think twice. Seychellois will not tolerate Autocracy! Just ask your friend Gadaffi in Libya, Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab world.

UN Human Rights Sanction on Seychelles

Recently, the UN Human Rights Commission sanctioned

Seychelles

for not filing a Human Rights Country Report for Seventeen (17) years, required under Eight (8) international conventions. Not a single report- 17 years.

The real reason being, the human rights violations in

Seychelles

are committed mostly by the Communists themselves, they are tasked with preparing the reports. Sanctions can last as long as Four (4) years. The cover up has been for 34 years. Now the World is on to the sham on human rights.

Freedom House Ranks Seychelles With Ukraine

Freedom House, which promotes freedom, civil liberties in emerging democracies ranked Seychelles recently, alongside

Ukraine

in curtailing of Freedom of the Press. The survey was released in honor of World Press Freedom Day, May 3.

We did not hear a peep on World Press Freedom Day in the

Seychelles

. That is because under Michel PL Communist Party similar to the

Ukraine

, too much power is concentrated in the hands of one man.

We see him on TV every night for 15 minutes out of a 30 minute news program. Additionally these programs are run three (3) more times over and over.

When Michel shakes hands with someone, the cameras are there. When Michel kisses someone, the cameras are there. When Michel sits down, the cameras are there. When Michel walks, the cameras are there. This omnipresence is highly destructive to democracy. It is like putting acid in our rice and wishing a healthy meal to the people.

Newspaper Act et al of 1991

Freedom House could not have been on point more, to rank Seychelles with

Ukraine

in Press Freedom.

Until today, the Seychelles Press functions if at all, under the One Party dictatorship laws enacted by France Albert Rene called the Newspaper Act.

This ancient law imposes severe brutal restrictions on the Press and makes it penal in nature, to publish if the Communist government does not like what is being written.

Public Orders Act et al (1991)

This One Party State Act, which is still in full enforce, provides for strict requirements to protest and peaceful assembly. One must obtain approval from the Commissioner of Police to conduct a meeting in Public where three (3) or more persons collect. Failing an approval, the Police have the power to arrest and power to detain the Three (3) citizens.

For Seventeen (17) years the SPPF PL Communist Party has kept this law in force. Recently this year, just before the election season was launched, the Commissioner of Police Andre Quatre and the Home Affairs Minister, Mr. Joel Morgan, went on television and declared that any person that conducts an assembly or protest will be dealt with; as they made that statement, pictures of men holding AK-47’s and tear gas were flashed.

This overt threat and massacre of the right to assemble, protest and expression, applies only to opponents of the Communist government in

Seychelles

. It does not apply to the Communists themselves. Pictures of the Freedom Square rally and other rallies in the last election show this. The right to assemble is a reserved and privileged right in the

Seychelles

The international community is put on notice of this grave autocratic practice ongoing in the

Seychelles

today, that is another nail in the coffin of Democracy and Freedom in this Country.

There is no Democracy in

Seychelles

and Freedom is not respected. What we have is a very efficient voting process that is patently laden with fraudulent voters on the Voters List. This, the Commonwealth Head of Delegation, Dr. Hunt from St. Lucia, told NGO’s in

Seychelles

is common in all countries and we as citizens must take proactive steps to clean up the list once and for all.

Initial Observer Reports Do Not look Good

Initial reports point to a “credible voting process” (D- of reports) and do not address the leveling of the playing field in which Freedom must respected to allow Democracy in

Seychelles

to flourish.

No observer group was forth coming with the A+ of reports: “……that the elections were Free and Fair’ Hence, the voting result was credible”.

Seychelles

elections are impossible to be “Free and Fair” under Communists, especially now that we are back in the One Party State, and there is no debate anymore. Silence rules, as James Michel hogs the television screen, radio airwaves, and newspapers, all funded by the State.

I expect to be arrested and detained for this blog any day now.

Seselwa Unite!

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

2011-06-03T20:21:00.002+04:00

Seychelles

Communist Party Rigs Sham Election

The PL Seychelles Communist Party, ruling for 34 years, has rigged sham elections for the office of the President. The Communist candidate James Alix Michel, polled 54% of the vote. Second was Wavel Ramkalawan of the SNP with a 40% poll, after professing the politics of division in the opposition unsuccessfully in a 5^th presidential bid.

Phillipe Boulle polled a little above 1% as an Independent candidate and Ralph Volcere NDP candidate polled even less then Boulle, though he has a party behind him.

MSR called for a boycott under grounds that the opposition was not united and the process is rigged and sham under the administration of an appointed Electoral Commissioner.

Additionally, fake citizens are placed on the Voters List. Numerous bona fide citizens are not on the list and are removed.

The SNP and NDP both ignored the MSR plea to boycott based on a rigged Voters List and a SHAM PROCESS. This means that unless changes are made, the process will always protect the Communists. The opposition must change political style to adapt to this Communist sham.

A high number of 1600 plus spoilt votes were recorded and over 13,000 people did not vote.

Candidates Boycott Results

At the final hour, candidates from the opposition boycotted the announcement of the results by Hendrick Gappy, whose demeanor showed his undisputed bias and support for the incumbent communist candidate James Michel. Only one month before the elections, Wavel Ramkalawan said in Regar newspaper that Gappy is not to blame for the office of the Electoral Commissioner not being independent; this, in response to MSR’s attacks on Mr. Gappy’s credibility to officiate over our elections.

Mr. Gappy is an appointed Electoral Commissioner, contrary to SADC rules and numerous past Commonwealth recommendations from past elections. PL Communists appointed him to a Two (2) year term recently, ignoring the

SADC rules and ignoring the Commonwealth Reports. Gappy of course stayed silent on the matter.

Division Is Disgraceful

We must not overlook the status quo of division advanced by Wavel Ramkalawan and SNP in the opposition for years now, as being one of the reasons why PL even had a chance to steal an election.

It is today, a disgraceful strategy that has failed on its face and Ramkalawan should resign from politics in Seychelles at this time to give

Seychelles

any chance for change.

No one person has given more credibility to a Communist system than Wavel Ramkalawan over the last 17 years.

If there is not a profound change of course, the SNP should shut down. There is no exception, for its scheme, born out of pure self interest of its leadership, which has now proven to be highly detrimental to the future of

Seychelles

. The results of this effort of division is self evident.

The SNP is taking us back to the One Party State, but giving PL communists the credibility they did not have in the One Party State.

While we live under One Party State rules, the SNP have called

Seychelles

a “Democracy” for years now. After the results are announced, two (2) days later, Ramkalawan calls for a Boycott of the National Assembly, until new laws are put in place for “free and fair elections”. Why did he not do that before the election? Did he not remember what happen in the last elections? Did he not know the Voters List was rigged before elections? Yes, he did. But he went through with the elections, in spite of knowing the Voters List was rigged. Could PL bribe 7000 people on election day? No. It would not be manageable. This is where Ramkalawan attempts to pull the wool over our eyes, to fool us, so he can stay another five years not as President, but as

Mr. No. 2, so PL can remain No. 1 and the opposition can remain in disarray.

The sooner we abandon Ramkalawan’s wool and eye scam and tell him to resign from politics in Seychelles, the sooner we can get on with the work for real change in

Seychelles

. We deserve better then wishy-washy ideas of what was, what is not, what will never be, because someone needs to keep on making money off politics at the expense of sacrificing the will of the people.

Use of State Resources

The most blatant abuse in the rigged elections, is perhaps the continuous uninterrupted use of state resources, by the Communist Party. This includes

elaborate budgets for the EXPO 2020, a fake futuristic perversion fabricated by Mr. Gilbert Pool a Public Relations artist recruited from the Rene camp to prop up Michel in a desperate attempt to secure him a victory in order to protect himself and F. A Rene possibly from prosecution for killings, murders, and misuse of funds that have gone unaccounted for since the One Party State.

Ambassadors were flown into the country to campaign for the ruling regime, using state funds. Vehicles belonging to the state were used in the campaign

to truck and bus communist supporters. Even hospital ambulances were used. It was quite a mobilization effort that only state apparatus could configure and execute.

Perhaps when all is tallied up, at least US$100 Million of State funds were used to help the PL Communists rig elections. In the coming days, the numbers will start to tumble in.

Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nayan UAE Supports Communists

In the run up to the elections, Sheik Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nayan of United Arab Emirates pumped at least US$ 100 Million in various public works projects and hospitals, housing projects that the Communists had promised but not been able to deliver to the people while under IMF administration.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) which was projected at $ 2 Billion failed to materialize and has recently slumped to $140 Million, all of which come from Sheik Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nayan to prop up the failing communist regime of James Michel. While Michel has failed on the economic front, he has succeeded on the electoral rigging front. The PL Communists organized lists to fool voters, when the money was gone. Lists included roof sheeting list, fridge list, cookers list, trips to

Mauritius

list, housing list, etc….

After Elections We Are Still Bankrupt

After the rigged effort, the Communists will be back. But the reality of

Seychelles

dire economic situation will also follow them. We are still BANKRUPT as a nation state. Our External Debt just below US$ 500 Million has not been serviced yet and our Domestic Debt of SCR 1.7 Billion has not been touched by the PL. Commercial banks are reluctant to forgive.

The impact of this situation is that life for the average Seychellois all of them, regardless of political party affiliation, will now get much harder, and not better or easier as promised. Increased taxes will cut into income on the earning side and the expenditure end. In the end, Seychellois will be taxed as much as 40% of their income to cover up for the poor management practice of the PL. This will include the cost of free schooling, free health care, free use of facilities by Fabrike citizens who obtain citizenship outside of Due Process. As they enjoy free services, they reduce the value of those services for all Seychellois and drive up costs of operation for services. As they bid for a free scholarship, or seat at a university, they take away a seat from a bona fide Seychellois. But what is certain, is most Fabrike’s vote for PL and profess loyalty to them, before country. They hold the balance of power on a hinge while Seychellois overseas who profess loyalty to country before any party, still cannot vote. Many pay taxes, and come back and forth but cannot stay the statutory three (3) months at one time to vote. This situation needs to be challenged in courts and taken to the International Human Rights Courts for judgment.

IMF Will Be Back in Victoria Soon

After the elections, the IMF will be back to see how far the Communist PL have deviated from the IMF program to implement its election priorities.

UN Commission on Human Rights Sanction

Recently, the

Seychelles

was sanctioned by the UN Human Rights Commission for not filing human rights reports for Seventeen (17) years.

This sanction will be in place for Four (4) years and will bring international awareness to the communist regime in

Seychelles

The reason why State Human Rights Reports have not been filed is simple enough: it has been the state that has been systematically violating Human Rights in

Seychelles

since 1977. Because we are a small nation state and bankrupt, they do not want to be accountable for those violations. But we cannot progress as a society if there is no accountability on the subject of Human Rights.

As promised, I will push the human rights card on the table as I push the principle effectively of “Sesel Pou Seselwa” on the table. The issues cannot be discussed in isolation, nor can they be divorced from one another. They must co–exist in harmony for Seychellois to have true Freedom and real Democracy as they are rightfully entitled to have as a people.

Of the Five (5) cases reported on

Seychelles

non compliance with Human Rights State Report, Three (3) came from MSR and myself. Everyday, the dossier of recent violations increase in bulk. But SNP went to sleep on these issues for years, before we awakened them.

97% Oil Field Quadrants Sold

In numerous low profile deals, the

Seychelles

government this year, allowed to be sold, 97% of interests in our oil quadrants and hydro carbon quadrants currently under exploration. The PL Communists followers were misled into believing that oil is near discovery and they will soon be rich in rallies. That fable could not be farer from the truth. Whatever there is out there, now belongs to someone else.

From Oil to Honey Now Vinegar!

Most of those jumping about in exchange for SCR 5,000 were anticipating a bonanza of personal oil revenue for supporting the PL Communists. Now

that the oil quadrants have been sold, IMF is on our backs, and the honey trail has ended abruptly after the motorcade. So be prepared for the Five (5) years of vinegar Communists. The concentration level will be worse than the last Five (5) years, which you said was “easy” and you said we are “touni” when we should all be rich.

Take it down nice and easy, keep the smile on your face as you swallow up; the worse is yet to come and it will get much worse, as those lists for roofing sheets, and fridges lists get tossed in a local government bin- file for eternity.

If you get thirsty along the way, make sure you have your “Bake Yaya” at hand, to catch some rain or vinegar, which ever comes first, drink down as it comes down to survival under James Michel.

In spite of your lives that pass in great darkness, we will strive to educate you as best we can so that you can stop the cycle of drinking vinegar as you lose your country forever under James Michel policy of “Sesel Pou Arab”, which you will now see at a prolific level over the next Five (5) years.

As you are squeezed into a corner of bare existence, we will continue to educate you, to help you out of your trap, for life was not meant to be lived in a corner, without any options. That is not Freedom, it is imprisonment. For now, you have condemned yourselves to Five (5) years, with the help of a fofo- money obsessed leader in the opposition.

The Deal With The Devil

To all of you who have made a deal with the Devil out of frustration with Ramkalawan, remember this: Ramkalawan is not Seychelles, by falling out with him, you should have gone off quietly, instead, some of you have betrayed your patrimony our beloved

Seychelles

. Remember the old saying when you call up your deal made with PL in your weakest hour: “the devil is in the details”!

To all you sell outs, seek pardon from the people, we are Christians for now, and we will never shut the door on you.

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

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