Committee on truth, reconciliation and national unity in the National Assembly |09 March 2017

Grievance forms available as deadline postponed to March 31

People who want to have closure on any painful events that happened after the coup d’Etat in 1977 are being asked to send in their filled-in grievance forms now that the deadline has been postponed to March 31.

Speaking to Seychelles NATION early yesterday afternoon in his office at the National Assembly, leader of the opposition Wavel Ramkalawan, who also chairs the truth and reconciliation committee, said the decision to extend the deadline is because “some Seychellois living abroad have been able to access grievance forms online.”

The committee has already received 15 complaints and Mr Ramkalawan explained that if Seychellois based here have easily had access to the forms at either the National Assembly headquarters at Ile du Port or the Office of the Mayor of Victoria, those living abroad have found it hard to do so.

“This is because we had a problem with our website and therefore could not upload the form. As a result Seychellois living abroad have felt the March 14 deadline to hand in all filled-in forms is too short. This is why the committee has decided to extend the deadline to March 31,” said Mr Ramkalawan.

Forms can be sent to the secretary of the committee Jeline Quatre at the following email address: jquatre@nationalassembly.sc

Compared to what many people may think, Mr Ramkalawan explained that the truth and reconciliation committee within the National Assembly is not the national, independent truth and reconciliation commission.

“The committee is concentrating on doing the groundwork and it will the present recommendations to the National Assembly based on the grievances and after that present a draft law to direct the work of the national, independent truth and reconciliation commission which will interview people who have filled in the grievance forms,” said Mr Ramkalwan.

He added that “people don’t need to write on the grievance forms all the details of what happened to them or members of their family. They just need to write what happened. For example, a person might just write that his or her family member was killed on June 5, 1977 in Victoria by so and so. That’s all. The committee will categorise the complaints under different headings. After that, those who have made formal complaints will be called in by the national, independent truth and reconciliation commission to provide details of what happened exactly to them of their family members.”

Mr Ramkalwan noted that “the investigative work of the national, independent truth and reconciliation commission could last two years or more, taking into account the South African process which went on for a number of years.”

He added that the truth and reconciliation committee will be organising a national symposium on Saturday April 22 at the International Conference Centre of Seychelles (ICCS) and an official invitation is open to all resource people who want to make any presentations on the day.

The presentation papers should be addressed to either Mr Ramkalawan or Ms Quatre and should reach the committee on truth, reconciliation and national unity at the National Assembly headquarters by Monday April 10 the latest.

The final report will be presented to the National Assembly on Tuesday May 16 for its approval before a copy is presented to President Danny Faure on Wednesday May 31 when the work of the committee will end, but it could still be called upon to help form the national, independent truth and reconciliation commission and give ideas on how it could be run.

Mr Ramkalawan added that the fact that the final report will be given to President Faure on May 31, “this will give him enough time to include some of the recommendations in his National Day speech.”

It was in November last year that the National Assembly unanimously approved a motion calling for the creation of an Assembly committee for truth, reconciliation and national unity which would start the ground work for the creation of a national, independent truth and reconciliation commission. The motion was tabled by Mr Ramkalawan.

The members of the committee are François Adelaide, Nicholas Prea, Bernard Georges and Wavel Ramkalawan from the Linyon Demokratik Seselwa while the Parti Lepep members are Basil Hoareau, Simon Gill, and Charles de Commarmond.

The main idea behind the setting up of the committees is the fact that almost 40 years following the coup d’Etat in 1977, there are still people who are suffering as a result of certain incidents and events which happened over these years.

Among its objectives the committee would:

- study different tools and methodology adopted by other countries to come up with a model suitable for Seychelles;

- propose a structure to government which would study and analyse complaints by individuals affected with the aim of shedding light on those events which have taken place in the recent history of our country and that once and for all the truth will come out and those affected will find a solution and peace and closure to their suffering to allow the country to move forward with confidence in the future;

- make recommendations on policies which would be adopted and action that could be taken to reduce political division in the country for national unity to foster.