United Seychelles “utterly disappointed” with LDS leadership six months on |08 May 2021

Dr Hermine

Leader of the United Seychelles (US), Patrick Herminie, has expressed his disappointment over the state of the country and affairs over the past six months, under the leadership of President Wavel Ramkalawan and Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS).

Dr Herminie was speaking at a press conference held yesterday by the political party.

In starting, Dr Herminie, who was joined on the panel only by deputy leader of US, Jacquelin Dugasse, in line with public health measures, took the opportunity to convey on behalf of the party condolences to citizens who have lost a loved one to Covid-19 in the past six months.

Dr Herminie went on to note the various alleged ‘problems’ under the Ramkalawan administration, referring firstly to the rate of Covid-19 infections in Seychelles at present, issues pertaining to employment and the cost of living in the country.

“Sixth months later after LDS assuming power, what do we see today? We see that Seychelles is filled with Covid-19, and Seychelles has the highest number of Covid-19 infections in the world, mainly due to political interference in public health. The United Kingdom (UK) has banned us and now, the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) based in America has classed us in the red category because of the alarming situation in Seychelles. The United States of America (USA) has advised against travelling to Seychelles for whatever reason. Visitors are cancelling their booking and many more are cutting-back their holidays in Seychelles because of Covid-19,” Dr Herminie said.

“Health workers have had enough. Four hundred and fifty-nine of them have already been infected with Covid-19. This end of month, they are not sure if they will get their allowance. Those who have returned to help out have not been paid their allowances since January, and yesterday the Ministry of Health was given instructions to reduce the number of tests administered, because it is giving a bad image of Seychelles. But I want to warn the people that this is contradictory to the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO). I want to note today that if we are not careful, our healthcare system will collapse. If it is still standing, it is due to the service that SPPF, Parti Lepep and United Seychelles (US) has established over the past 43 years. It is probably the most competent and solid across Africa and in the region. What is unfortunate is that all this is happening when the President reassured us that everything is under control,” Dr Herminie declared.

Dr Herminie went on to reiterate the line of argument forwarded by US proponents on numerous occasions that the country should have been locked down, so as to curb the propagation of Covid-19, going on to state that failure to do so will result in the world locking Seychelles out.

With regard to the cost of living, unemployment situation and economic decline, Dr Herminie seemed to be proposing that government favours the already rich, or at least individuals and interests with whom they have connections, to the disadvantage of the less fortunate and disadvantaged groups within the population.

“In only six months, the government has managed to close all STC retail outlets and place commerce in the hands of big merchants, as was the case in 1976. In a moment when a government has no money to provide snack-packs for its children, it has found in the safe that was supposed to be empty to fund a trip amounting to R3 million” Dr Herminie added, pointing out government’s alleged abuse of resources including that of the Islands Development Company (IDC) and the Seychelles Coastguard.

Dr Herminie went on to point out what the party claims to be ‘wrongdoings’ of the LDS party since assuming power, including the “bizarre way” that the foreign exchange rate is lowering which is not necessarily reflected in the price of commodities, the twist in the war on drugs which sees escobars getting away while marijuana users face hefty prison sentences, as well as the sheer quantity of people who are struggling after losing their jobs due to the economic recession, in addition to the others who were victimised through the government’s recent restructuring activities.

Asked what US would have done if they had won the 2020 elections, Dr Herminie said the party would ensure that all children have snack packs for school, that they would have introduced a furlough system to sustain those in need until the third quarter of the year, and that a US government would most definitely not have reopened the Seychelles International Airport.

Both Mr Dugasse and Dr Herminie denied that there is any friction with the party in power, stating that US is simply playing their role in a democratic society, although Dr Herminie accused the government of being “stubborn ” and “not tolerant towards criticism”, and as having made decisions with which US cannot be affiliated. One such decision is the recent announcement and discontinuation of STC retail outlets, according to Mr Dugasse.

“We are the opposition so we are playing the role of the opposition. Just like LDS was in the opposition, they did exactly what we are doing today, if not worse than what we are doing today. US at the time accepted the opposition and we co-existed, but it seems that they are the ones who cannot co-exist so they make allegations that there is friction,” Mr Dugasse asserted.

The panel also addressed the issue of Air Seychelles, granting certain airlines fifth freedom, the issue of swimmer Simon Bachmann’s participation in the Olympic Games.

In concluding, Dr Herminie shared his perspective that the present government is failing the population and that the drug problem in the country has exacerbated as compared to when the country was under US leadership.

“We are reorganising ourselves internally. US has only one objective which is to remove the liberal government from power, and we think that we can do so,” Dr Herminie stated.

In due time, US is expected to launch a new workers union, a launch which was supposed to happen today, May 8, but has been postponed due to the tightening of public health measures.

Laura Pillay