Lalyans Seselwa presidential candidate Patrick Pillay |01 December 2015

‘The leader’s integrity and incorruptibility must always be intact’

Seychelles NATION: Why do you think the people should vote for you as President of Seychelles?

Patrick Pillay: Because the Seychellois are looking for a leader who is honest, credible and hardworking and decisive with a positive and clean professional and political track record.

Seychelles NATION: What is your definition of leadership? And what is your overarching purpose as a leader?

Patrick Pillay: Leadership is the ability to motivate people under your charge and the leader’s overarching purpose is to ensure that the organisation’s vision and mission is operational, i.e. translated into concrete actions.

Seychelles NATION: Are we better off now than we were four years ago?

Patrick Pillay: We are worse off now than we were four years ago.

Seychelles NATION: In the past, how have you responded to, evaluated and learned from mistakes – your own and those of your team?

Patrick Pillay: You can only respond to evaluate and learn from your mistake if you are open to and accept criticisms. The day your troops, soldiers stop bringing theirs or their organisation’s problems is the day you have stopped leading them.

Seychelles NATION: What is your negotiating style, approach, philosophy?

Patrick Pillay: Negotiating for me is using your persuasion skills always bearing in mind the need to compromise.

Seychelles NATION: Tell us about a time when your judgment has been tested in crisis. And what do you want the people to appreciate about your judgment?

Patrick Pillay: In 2009 when we were negotiating to have the ten Seychellois who were held captive freed from the hands of the Somali pirates. We had to make the decision as to whether to pay ransoms or not for the release of the Seychellois captives. I was Minister for Foreign Affairs and had been sent to Nairobi by the President for the negotiations. The official government position was not to pay any ransom. This was also my own personal belief. However, in the delicate and difficult circumstances where lives of Seychellois compatriots were involved, I pushed for us to pay the ransom demanded by the pirates in spite of the fact that it was against my principles. It all worked out in the end.

Seychelles NATION: What are the keys to translating your vision for Seychelles’ future into action?

Patrick Pillay: Put people before plans. The leader must set the example. The leader’s integrity and incorruptibility must always be intact. Create the environment to get 110% output from all workers by encouraging clear two-way communication.

Seychelles NATION: Young people will be engaged in this election in greater numbers than ever before. How will you keep them engaged?

Patrick Pillay: Establish a non-government system of voluntarism for interested youths to work with marginalised and vulnerable groups in society from young ex-offenders, drug addicts and the elderly in the districts.

Seychelles NATION: What are the first three things you’re going to do to raise Seychelles’ confidence once you’re in office?

Patrick Pillay:  I will put in place:
i. A reconciliation and healing commission
ii. An anti-corruption commission.
iii. An independent public service commission

Seychelles NATION: How will you create an environment for innovation within your leadership team?

Patrick Pillay: i. By being a visible and strong disciplinarian.
ii. By setting the example.
iii. By keeping the group’s focus on our goals as a government.
iv. By tracking our team’s progress in achieving our goals.

Seychelles NATION: In what ways will you help Seychellois realise the challenges we face and do the hard work of overcoming them together?

Patrick Pillay: Firstly, I would inspire the whole population to define the challenges we face together.
Secondly, we will decide together what has to be done first, i.e. identify the priorities.

Seychelles NATION: Can you give us two or three concrete examples from your past as to how you have helped change the culture of an organisation?

Patrick Pillay: The first situation was in September 1986 when I was appointed director of Seychelles Polytechnic. The culture of this post-secondary institution was stifling, punitive regimental, almost military in operation. The students had to clean and sweep the classes after school, cut the grass in the compound, paint the front block and clean the compound. I was told that the policy was that on graduation day, I had to address the graduates in Creole. The worst policies that I had encountered that if a student became pregnant and the paternity turned out to be that of another student, both students were to be immediately dismissed. The institution had an MIP (Manual of Internal Procedures) which resembled the doctrines of Kim Il Sung of North Korea. I ignored that MIP and there was never a dismissal of any student because of pregnancy.

I know how many young people were saved from this ignoble policy.

As for the use of language, all the students knew that as a ‘Creolofone’ I was an ardent defender of Creole. However, I insisted that all student-teacher discussions and interactions, should be in either English or French.

In the three years that I was director, the ethos and culture of this institution changed completely, from a punitive one to one where the wholesome and holistic development of the character of the young people was encouraged rather than a culture of punishment and regimentation.

I was horrified that students were not taught civic education, but political education and also all the students had to undertake forceful drill sessions. Mercifully, all these things had come to an end by the time I became principal secretary for education.

The second is when I was appointed Minister for Health in March 2000. When I asked President (France Albert) René why he was sending me to health, he replied that he wanted me to do some healing there; because apparently there was a lot of division in the ministry at that time. And sure enough when I got there, a senior member of staff came to me and said it was too late to mend the rift that had developed among them. Apparently there were those who were openly supporting the government, those who were pro-opposition and those who were simply fed up with both sides.

As a result service delivery in the Ministry of Health was being adversely impacted. I am to say that within the four years I spent as minister there, I was able to change this divisive environment into one where everyone acknowledged their differences of opinion, but put the focus on delivering the best health service they could for the country.