2015 Seychellois presidential election

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2015 Seychellois presidential election
Flag of Seychelles.svg
  2011 3–5 December 2015 (first round)
16–18 December 2015 (second round)
2020  
Registered70,943
Turnout87.40% (first round)
90.06% (second round)
  James Michel 2014.png Wavel Ramkalawan 2015 (cropped).jpg
Nominee James Michel Wavel Ramkalawan
Party People's Party SNP
Running mate Danny Faure Roger Mancienne
Popular vote31,51231,319
Percentage50.15%49.85%

2015 Seychelles presidential election - Results (First round).svg
2015 Seychelles presidential election - Results (Second round).svg

President before election

James Michel
People's Party

Elected President

James Michel
People's Party

Presidential elections were held in Seychelles between 3 and 5 December 2015. As no candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the first round, a second round was held between 16 and 18 December. [1] Incumbent President James Michel was re-elected, defeating opposition leader Wavel Ramkalawan by just 193 votes in the second round. Ramkalawan claimed there had been "many irregularities", including vote buying. [2]

Contents

Background

The elections were initially scheduled to take place between 19 and 21 November 2015, but were moved "to give more time to political parties to prepare for the elections". [3]

Campaign

The official nomination process closed on 11 November 2015. In October 2015 incumbent President James Michel of the People's Party announced his intention to run for re-election for a third and final term. Since the re-introduction of democracy in 1993, [4] candidates from the People's Party have won all presidential and parliamentary elections in Seychelles. [3]

Alexia Amesbury, leader of the Seychelles Party for Social Justice and Democracy, was the first woman to contest a presidential election in Seychelles. [1]

Results

Michel fell short of a majority in the first round, receiving about 48% of the vote, and therefore a second round was required. The second place candidate, long-time opposition leader Wavel Ramkalawan, received the support of third place candidate Patrick Pillay for the second round. [5]

Michel won the second round by a very small margin, beating Ramkalawan by only 193 votes, according to results announced by the electoral commission on 19 December 2015. Ramkalawan disputed the results and requested a recount. Michel was sworn in on 20 December. [6]

CandidateRunning matePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
James Michel Danny Faure People's Party 28,91147.7631,51250.15
Wavel Ramkalawan Roger Mancienne Seychelles National Party 21,39135.3331,31949.85
Patrick Pillay Ahmed Afif Seychellois Alliance 8,59314.19
Alexia Amesbury Roy Fonseka Seychelles Party for Social Justice and Democracy8321.37
Philippe Boullé Peter RoselieIndependent4110.68
David Pierre Hervé AnthonyPopular Democratic Movement4000.66
Total60,538100.0062,831100.00
Valid votes60,53897.6462,83198.34
Invalid/blank votes1,4662.361,0621.66
Total votes62,004100.0063,893100.00
Registered voters/turnout70,94387.4070,94390.06
Source: ECS

References