| Prime Minister of the Seychelles | |
|---|---|
| Premier Ministre des Seychelles (French) | |
 | |
| Appointer | Governor of Seychelles (1970–1976) President of Seychelles (1976–1977) |
| Formation | 12 November 1970 |
| First holder | Sir James Mancham |
| Final holder | France-Albert René |
| Abolished | 5 June 1977 |
 |
|---|
The prime minister of Seychelles was an executive position in the government of Seychelles from 1970 until 1977.
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Election | Term of office | Political party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||
| Chief Minister of the Crown Colony of Seychelles | |||||||
| 1 |  | Sir James Mancham (1939–2017) | 1970 1974 | 12 November 1970 | 1 October 1975 | 4 years, 323 days | SDP |
| Prime Minister of the Crown Colony of Seychelles | |||||||
| (1) | | Sir James Mancham (1939–2017) | — | 1 October 1975 | 28 June 1976 [a] | 271 days | SDP |
| Prime Minister of the Republic of Seychelles | |||||||
| 1 |  | France-Albert René (1934–2019) | — | 29 June 1976 | 5 June 1977 [b] | 341 days | SPUP |
| Post abolished (5 June 1977 – present) | |||||||
| Presidents |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Prime ministers |
| |
| Vice-presidents |
| |
Seychelles, officially the Republic of Seychelles, is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 155 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, is 1,500 kilometres east of mainland Africa. Nearby island countries and territories include the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and the French overseas departments of Mayotte and Réunion to the south; and the Chagos Archipelago to the east. Seychelles is the smallest country in Africa as well as the least populated sovereign African country, with an estimated population of 100,600 in 2022.
The politics of Seychelles have historical roots in both one-party socialism and autocratic rule. Following independence from the United Kingdom in 1976, Seychelles was a sovereign republic until 1977, when the original President and leader of the Seychelles Democratic Party, James Mancham, was overthrown in a bloodless coup by the Prime Minister France-Albert René. René installed a single-party socialist state under the Seychelles People's Progressive Front in 1979 which remained in power until 1993, when multiparty elections took place for the first time since independence, after restoring the multi-party system in 1991. Modern day Seychelles governance takes place in a framework of a presidential republic, whereby the President of Seychelles is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly.
France-Albert René was a Seychellois lawyer, politician and statesman who served as the second President of Seychelles from 1977 to 2004. He also served as the country's second Prime Minister from its independence in 1976 to 1977.
The national flag of Seychelles was adopted on 8 January 1996. The current flag is the third used by the country since its independence from the United Kingdom on 29 June 1976. The colours used in the current flag are the official colours of two of the country's major political parties: the Seychelles People's United Party and the Seychelles Democratic Party.
James Alix Michel, GCSK is a Seychellois politician who served as the third President of Seychelles from 2004 to 2016. He previously served as vice president under his predecessor, France-Albert René, from 1996 to 2004.
United Seychelles is a political party in Seychelles. It publishes a newspaper called The People. It was known as the Seychelles People's Progressive Front from 1978/9 to June 2009, when it changed its name to the People's Party. The party changed its name again in November 2018, from the People's Party to United Seychelles.
The Seychelles National Party(SNP) is a liberal political party in Seychelles. Its followers emphasize active multiparty democracy, respect for human rights and liberal economic reforms. It was founded in response to what it called the "totalitarian regime" of former President France-Albert René. It publishes a newsletter called Regar, which is frequently sued for libel by government officials. On Regar's front page of every issue is a quote from the constitution of Seychelles invoking their right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression.
Sir James Richard Marie Mancham KBE was a Seychellois politician who founded the Seychelles Democratic Party and was the first President of Seychelles from 1976 to 1977.
Wavel Ramkalawan is a Seychellois politician and Anglican priest who has been serving as the President of Seychelles since 26 October 2020. Ramkalawan was an opposition MP from 1993 to 2011 and 2016 to 2020. He also served as the Leader of the Opposition from 1998 to 2011 and 2016 to 2020. On 25 October 2020, Ramkalawan won the presidential election, the country's first such victory for an opposition candidate since independence, marking its first successful peaceful transition of power.
Franco-Seychellois are people of French descent living in the Seychelles. Franco-Seychellois have played an important role in the country's history both before and since independence.
The Seychelles Community in the European Union is composed of former citizens of the Seychelles who now live in the European Union (EU).
Seychelles International Repatriation Onward Program (SIROP) is an exile/refugee return program conceived in 1986/87 by a faction of the Seychelles community in exile, Founder and Leader, Mr Mitchel J Edmond. They supported the return of the Seychelles exile without the use of force or military coup. The concept and programme involved putting together and promoting a strong economic package for the returning exile/refugee and the Seychelles economy amounting to $500 million - $800 million. It also required the return of multi-party politics among other agenda. It was supported by the International community. The other political parties involved were CDU Dr Maxime Ferrari, Mr Andre Uzice, DP Mr David Joubert, SDP & Mouvement Pour la Democracy Sir James Mancham, Alliance Mr Christopher Savy and Mr Lewis Betsey, SNP Mr Philippe Boullé, Seychelles National Party Mr Edmond Camille, Mr Gabriel Houreau, Mr Robert Frichot, Mr Paul Chow, Mr Ralph Volcer, also UKSCA Executives 1987. It also involved then Seychelles Opposition Underground Movements and political parties.
The vice-president of Seychelles is the second highest political office in the Republic of Seychelles. The position was created in 1996.
The history of Seychelles dates back to the fourth of the Portuguese India Armadas led by Vasco da Gama, though Seychelles was likely already known to Arab navigators and other sailors for many centuries. On 15 March 1503, the scrivener Thomé Lopes noted the sighting of an elevated island, doubtless one of the granitic islands and almost certainly Silhouette Island. The first recorded landing was by the men of the English East India Company ship Ascension, which arrived in Seychelles in January 1609. The islands were claimed by France in 1756. Seychelles remained uninhabited until the first settlers arrived on board the ship Thélemaque, which arrived on 27 August 1770. Captain Leblanc Lecore landed the first colonists, comprising 15 white men, eight Africans and five Indians. The Seychellois Creole language developed as a means of communication between the different races. The British frigate Orpheus commanded by Captain Henry Newcome arrived at Mahé on 16 May 1794. Terms of capitulation were drawn up and the next day Seychelles was surrendered to Britain. Following the fall of Mauritius to British forces, Captain Phillip Beaver of the Nisus arrived at Mahé on 23 April 1811 and took possession of Seychelles as a permanent colony of Britain. The Seychelles became an independent republic in 1976. Following a coup d'état, a socialist one-party state ruled the country from 1977 to 1993. The subsequent democratic Presidential elections were won by candidates of the same party.
Presidential elections were held in the Seychelles between 19 and 21 May 2011, commencing on the Outer Islands on 19 May, with Inner Islands voting on 20 May and Mahé on 21 May. The result was a victory for incumbent President James Michel of the Seychelles People's Progressive Front, who received 55% of the vote in the first round.
The 1977 Seychelles coup d'état was a virtually bloodless coup that occurred in the East African and Indian Ocean country of Seychelles on 4–5 June 1977. Between 60–200 supporters of the Seychelles People's United Party (SPUP), who had been training in Tanzania, overthrew President Sir James Mancham of the Seychelles Democratic Party (SDP) whilst he was attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London, the United Kingdom.
The Constitution of Seychelles is the governing document of the Republic of Seychelles.
From 1977 to 1991, Seychelles was ruled by France-Albert René and the Seychelles People's Progressive Front as a one-party state. During this time the party leader, France-Albert René maintained influence and power through systematic torture and widespread human rights violations, as well as state violence against his political enemies throughout his presidency.
