Campaigning for SNYA election starts today   |13 February 2023

Mr Francourt facilitating the training on Saturday (Photo: Patrick Joubert)

Nominees learn the ropes in one-day workshop

By Patrick Joubert

To gear up for the upcoming Seychelles National Youth Assembly (SNYA) election from February 27 to March 3, 2023, which will be followed by its inauguration in April, the Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC) on Saturday organised a workshop to prepare nominated candidates to better understand the process and on how to go about with their election campaign which starts today.

The whole day training workshop for the secondary school nominees only, from across the country, was held at the Nayopi Restaurant and Business Centre, Providence.

As was announced last year, SNYC has changed the way it recruits participants for a SNYA seat – from being nominated to being elected to represent their schools in the youth assembly.

The training was facilitated by Craig Francourt from CTF consultancy and was held in partnership between SNYC and the British high commission.

As per the calendar for the election, which will be first held since the launch of the SNYA, for the nomination day, which fell on February 8, participants in large schools were obliged to present their nominations accompanied by 25 signatures while those in smaller schools have to garner 10 signatures.

The ten-day campaign will run from today February 13 until February 23, 2023, followed by the cooling off period (where no campaigning will take place) from February 24 until the date of the election which has been set for February 27 to March 3, 2023.

The around 60 participants from the public and private secondary schools learned about the key principles of democracy, how to equip themselves with knowledge and skills to think about and design a smart campaign to pitch to their electorates, how to be more confident in bringing about change on issues they care most about and the development of leadership skills such as: debating, communication, courage, strategic thinking and working with others.

The training also included the ‘do’s and ‘don’t’s with regard to fair campaigning in terms of respect of opponents and of opponents’ supporters, no intimidation and no bribery, among others.

For their campaigning, the nominees are allowed, with the authorisation of the school management, to hold small rallies, distribute campaign leaflets and put up posters, among other events associated with elections to gather support.  

In addressing the participants, the chief executive of SNYC, Albert Duncan, congratulated them for having taken the courage and determination to come forward and to present themselves to make a difference in the lives of the youths in their respective schools and for the youths of the country in general.

“Even at this age, do not ever underestimate your capability to make a difference as you have the ability to make positive contributions towards your schools including at national level. You have taken a big step to come forward, we are very proud of you and your responsibility will be to make heard the voice of the youth,” Mr Duncan said.   

Also present to bring his support to the participants was the Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS) proportionate member in the National Assembly, Honourable Naddy Zialor, who is a former deputy Speaker of SNYA.

“I would like to congratulate SNYC for this new initiative to introduce the value of democracy among the youths and to make them also understand of the big responsibility on their shoulder as an elected member. Given that the platform is to make heard their voices, I can give my assurances that the National Assembly will give the youth assembly its full support,” Hon. Zialor said. 

Some of the secondary school nominees who talked to Seychelles NATION said that they have come forward to make a difference for the youths in terms of making their voices heard on issues impacting their lives and to also help in their empowerment and development.

Most of them have already picked their topics on which to campaign on.

Fifteen-year-old Miriam Ahanotu from La Digue secondary school said the training have given her more baggage as to how she will have to handle her campaign to face off the challenge of her four other female contenders for the election.
“I think I am all ready for Monday (today). I have already prepared my speech and my posters and now I will just have to meet with the 25 students who signed my candidature to see how we will go about with my campaigning. Holding an election in the schools among us students, apart from being serious, I guess it’s fun at the same time,” Miriam said.         

According to SNYC, due to the difference in the school entry for the post secondary institutions, the nomination and election process will be held shortly after the election for the secondary schools which will be in time for the inauguration of SNYA in April.