Clarification on issue of lack of official response by the Electoral Commission to the United Seychelles |25 March 2023

The Office of the Electoral Commission has clarified a statement by the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, Sebastien Pillay of the United Seychelles party, made regarding the Bill on the amendment to the Elections Act.

During Wednesday’s session on March 22, 2023, Mr Pillay had stated that his party had not received any response of a letter sent to the Electoral Commission on February 1, 2023 in relation to the Bill on the amendment to the Elections Act

In its press release issued on Thursday, the Commission stated that it received a letter addressed to the chairperson of the Electoral Commission, dated February 6, 2023 and not February 1, 2023 as mentioned by the leader of the opposition and the letter was signed by the secretary general of the United Seychelles Party, Wallace Cosgrow.

The Commission adds that on February 9, 2023, a response to the letter was provided to Mr Cosgrow, on the official email of the United Seychelles, as provided in the letter issued by Mr Cosgrow, with the following persons in copy, namely the Party Leader, Patrick Herminie and liaison person, Melval Dugasse.

The Commission adds that it has been made aware that a letter dated February 1, 2023 by the United Seychelles was being circulated on a social media platform, namely Facebook. The Commission states that it never received any letter from the United Seychelles dated February 1, 2023, as being circulated on social media.

Press release from the Office of the Electoral Commission