General elections (October 22-24, 2020) |22 October 2020

In the event that a candidate other than from the ruling party is elected…

As the country gets into election mode and the public attention is focused on the possible outcome of the forthcoming general elections, Attorney General Frank Ally has explained the process that will follow if a candidate other than from the ruling party is voted into office of president.  

In the event that there is a change of president in the forthcoming October 22-24 general elections, Attorney General Frank Ally has explained that as per the Constitution of Seychelles, he will be sworn into office 24 hours after the results of the elections have been announced.

It is stated in the Constitution of Seychelles that a person elected as president shall hold office for a term of five years ‒

(a) beginning with the date next following the date of the declaration of the election of President; or

b) where another person holds office as President on the date next following the date of the declaration of the election of President, beginning on the date next following the date on which the office next becomes vacant.

With regard to the cabinet of ministers, it will also cease to function when the term of the serving president ends.

“In the present situation any candidate who is elected president will be sworn in the date next following the date of declaration of the election of president following which he will choose the ministers to form his new cabinet before submitting it to the National Assembly for approval,” Mr Ally explained.

But the fact that the National Assembly stands dissolved and the presidential and National Assembly elections are taking place simultaneously, the results of both will be announced on the same day and the new president will convene the newly elected Assembly in the shortest possible delay so as to have his cabinet line-up approved.

The Constitution provides for the appointment of a minimum seven and a maximum of 14 ministers.

Mr Ally explained that it is the president and his vice-president who assume the responsibility of the different portfolios while waiting for a cabinet to be approved.

Meanwhile, Mr Ally has also explained that if it happens that none of the three presidential candidates wins more than the 50% plus one of the votes, the current administration remains in office until a winner is decided through a second round of voting and contested by the two candidates who had amassed the most votes in the first round.

With regard to the National Assembly election, the winners are the candidates who are first past the post, that is the candidates who win the most votes.  

Marie-Anne Lepathy