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. Renéinstalled 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.
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.
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.
Indo-Seychellois are inhabitants of Seychelles with Indian heritage. With about 10,000 Indo-Seychellois in a total Seychellois population of nearly 100,000,they constitute a minority ethnic group in Seychelles. According to National Bureau of Statistics Seychelles in 2022,Indian community in Seychelles representing 9.0% from Seychelles population,up from 4.4% in 2010.
Patrick Georges Pillay is a Seychellois politician who was the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Seychelles from 2016 to 2018. Previously he served as Minister of External Affairs and Minister of Health. In 2010,he was appointed resident High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
Patrick Herminie is a Seychellois politician who served as a Speaker of the National Assembly of Seychelles from 2007 to 2016. He was first elected to the Assembly in 1993 and served as Leader of Government Business from 1998 to 2003. He was a member of the People's Party and plans to run in the 2025 presidential election as the candidate for the United Seychelles Party (USP).
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 Mahéon 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.
Parliamentary elections were held in Seychelles from 29 September to 1 October 2011. The elections were boycotted by all the main opposition parties. As a result,the People's Party won 33 of the 34 seats in the National Assembly.
Tamil-Seychellois are people of Southern Indian origins,predominantly from a Tamil background,living in the island nation of Seychelles. Their population is approximately 4000,making them one of the country's significant minorities.
Sanjay Tandon is an Indian politician in the Bhartiya Janata Party. He is the BJP candidate in the 2024 Indian general election in Chandigarh.
Parliamentary elections were held in Seychelles from 8 to 10 September 2016. Three parties and three independent candidates ran for the 25 directly-elected seats. The result was a victory for the opposition Linyon Demokratik Seselwa alliance,which won 19 of the 33 seats. It was the first time since the 1979 elections that the People's Party did not win a majority of seats.
Dr Jean DésiréMaximeFerrari, KSS,OBE was a politician and former obstetrician who held several different positions in the government of the Seychelles. He was widely regarded as an activist against corrupt governmental practices and a champion of human rights and democracy in the African island nations of the Indian Ocean.
Linyon Demokratik Seselwa is a liberal political coalition which has governed since 2016 in the Seychelles. They have 25 seats in the National Assembly. The coalition was originally made up of the four main opposition parties:the Seychelles National Party (SNP) led by Wavel Ramkalawan,the Seychellois Alliance (LS) led by Patrick Pillay,the Seychelles Party for Social Justice and Democracy led by Alexia Amesbury and the Seychelles United Party led by Robert Ernesta. The Seychellois Alliance left the coalition in February 2018 after the resignation of their leader Patrick Pillay as speaker and member of the National Assembly in January 2018.
The Seychellois Alliance or Lalyans Seselwa was a political party in Seychelles.
General elections were held in Seychelles on 22–24 October 2020 to elect the President and members of the National Assembly. The National Assembly elections had been due in 2021,but in July 2020 were brought forward by President Danny Faure in order to hold them together with the presidential elections,a proposal supported by opposition parties.
Ahmed Afif is a Seychellois politician and banker who has served as the Vice President of Seychelles since 27 October 2020.
Rosie Bistoquet was a Seychellois midwife and politician who served as a proportionately elected member of the 7th National Assembly of Seychelles from Pointe Larue constituency on the ticket of Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS). She was director for family health and nutrition and was noted to be the first health professional to develop HIV Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance Survey among female sex workers in Seychelles,Angola and Mauritius.
