Seychelles’ electoral authority has announced a rerun of the presidential election after neither of the two leading candidates secured an outright majority.
Official results released on Sunday showed incumbent President Wavel Ramkalawan receiving 46.4 per cent of the vote, while opposition candidate Patrick Herminie of the United Seychelles party garnered 48.8 per cent, according to the Associated Press. The commission did not specify when the rerun will take place.
Most citizens cast their ballots on Saturday following early voting that began on Thursday.
Herminie’s United Seychelles party, which governed the country from 1977 until 2020, is attempting to regain power. Ramkalawan, meanwhile, is seeking a second term under his Linyon Domokratik Seselwa (LDS) platform, focusing on economic recovery, social development, and environmental sustainability.
However, opposition to Ramkalawan has grown in the run-up to the election.
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Constitutional Challenge
A week before the vote, activists filed a constitutional case against the government over a controversial long-term lease granting a Qatari company rights to develop a luxury resort on Assomption Island, including the reconstruction of its airstrip. Critics argue the deal prioritises foreign investors over national sovereignty and long-term welfare.
Public Concerns
Other issues influencing voters include Seychelles’ worsening heroin crisis, with an estimated 6,000 users out of a population of 12,000, and the threat of climate change in the island nation spread across 390,000 square kilometres of the Indian Ocean.
Despite these challenges, Seychelles remains one of Africa’s wealthiest nations by GDP per capita, buoyed by luxury tourism and its reputation for environmental sustainability, according to the World Bank.
