Tribute to President James Michel |14 April 2014

‘The right man in the right place at the right time’

It is incredible to think that President James Michel has been at the helm of the Ship of State for already 10 years.

If some were inclined to think of him only as a care taker President, when he assumed power under the mandate of President Albert René, once elected President in his own right, President James A. Michel started to demonstrate that he was a lapdog to no one and that he had the strength of character to be his own man and create his own style of leadership in the pursuit of his justifiable desire and ambition to leave behind a nationally sustainable and respectable legacy.  

He has no doubt achieved a lot in this respect which sees him today at the head of a “determined nation” on the move. His greatest challenge remains the promotion and consolidation of stability through national unity which must be achieved through a change of hearts and not imposed by force or by legislation.

In the circumstances of the Seychelles today, President James A. Michel is the right man in the right place at the right time.

James R. Mancham
Founding President of Seychelles