Opposition parties want urgent meeting with electoral commission |06 October 2015

Opposition parties have said they want an urgent meeting with the electoral commission to discuss four main points which they say are critical in view of the impending Presidential elections.

In a letter dated October 5, 2015 and sent to most media outlets, five politicians – Patrick Pillay (Lalyans Seselwa), Wavel Ramkalawan (Seychelles National Party), Alexia Amesbury (Seychelles Party for Social Justice and Democracy), Michael Chadstone (Independent Conservative Union of Seychelles) and Robert Ernesta (Seychelles United Party) – said they have on at least three recent occasions met the commission in the presence of all other registered political parties in Seychelles to discuss these issues which remain outstanding.

According to the opposition parties, the four issues are:

1. The large discrepancy of at least 12k names in surplus on the March 2015 certified list from the electoral commission compared to official statistics held by government and published through the National Bureau of Statistics;
2. The issuance of a revised register of voters to rectify the above to all political parties at least one week before nomination day;
3. A procedure for all parties to agree and sign off on the final register of voters.
4. An agreed set of rules applicable on election day itself in summary form.

The politicians add in the letter that these matters are now highly critical given the recent declaration calling for Presidential elections by President James Michel.

Last Friday, the election commission said it will release the dates for nomination day and elections on Thursday October 8.

“It is not acceptable in our view to set these dates before the above important issues highlighted are resolved. We therefore request the commission for an urgent meeting to immediately resolve the above,” writes the letter.

It adds: “Should there be no resolution to this, we will be left with no option but to request the court for an injunction against the closing of the register of voters as early as October 8, 2015 with such a large discrepancy still in existence. Furthermore, we will take action not limited to the following:

• Peaceful protest in the centre of Victoria and nationwide including Praslin and La Digue;

• A local and international media blitz to draw attention to the lack of a credible electoral system;

All attempts by the Seychelles NATION newspaper to get in touch with electoral commission chairman Hendrick Gappy regarding these issues were in vain.