What can be done to sway the politicians who seem intent on causing discord in Seychelles?
By Lewis Betsy
To say I despair about the efforts of some politicians to achieve unity and harmony in Seychelles is to put it mildly.
Sometimes I feel defeated and crushed.
The only way our beloved islands can achieve harmony and peace is by everyone working together.
Why then are the politicians in the United Seychelles party (US) making things difficult by their anti-social behaviour?
They decided not to turn up for this year's official opening ceremony of the National Assembly of Seychelles on Friday March 10.
Then they abandoned their Assembly seats for the second time on Friday March 17.
After years of political discord and division, their actions have left many Seychellois perplexed and worried regarding the process of bringing together the various factions in the country.
Both the President of the Republic, Wavel Ramkalawan, and the Speaker of the National Assembly, Roger Mancienne, have made calls for unity and national reconciliation,
Mr Ramkalawan said: “Let us live in peace and harmony. Let us move away from the mind to destroy our country.”
This call seems to have cut no ice with US. The leader of the opposition, Sebastien Pillay, said he and his US colleagues decided not to turn up for the opening session after Speaker Mancienne would not allow him to also address the House on the occasion.
Mr Mancienne himself addressed the House in a short speech – the first of its kind in the history of the National Assembly.
This left the leader of the opposition and the leader of Government Business, along with all other MNAs, with the opportunity to reply to the President's State of the Nation address later, as has always been the case.
On the second protest, Mr Pillay strongly contested Mr Mancienne's decision to put his “urgent motion” on Pension Age and the Age of Social Security on the Order Paper for the week of March 28-29.
Are these really good enough reasons to increase tension in our country?
The terrible problem of drugs in Seychelles which gives the country an unenviable reputation as one of the most troubled places in the world is another issue that continues to bother me.
Why is there not a drugs centre to deal with those suffering from addiction. Seychelles needs such a place where addicts can be treated instead of just being given methadone every day.
As I recall, the then Parti Lepep closed the centres down. Such a terrible decision that has damned so many young lives to oblivion.
The President touched on drugs in his State of the Nation Address and it is something that I too have continuously campaigned about.
The scourge of drugs has completely destroyed families and a generation of young men – so much so that now we have to rely on people from other countries to work in Seychelles.
The President reinforced this view. He said drugs are impacting on the education system, the health services, Seychelles’ workforce, and that it has far-reaching implications for the small society.
He went on: “We need to ensure that our country fights the drug crisis. I ask the people to help the administration in this fight.”
All these unresolved issues have led me to decide to dedicate the rest of my life to bring reconciliation and unity in Seychelles.
It is something I have been striving for over decades.
In the past, I worked closely with the late Sir James Mancham OBE, the former President of Seychelles, to bring about democracy to our island nation.
It has been a challenge but one that I could not avoid.
I started my own newspaper, the Seychellois International, with the main aim of bringing to the attention of the world the terrible things that were happening in our beautiful Seychelles after Sir James was ousted in the Coup D’Etat on the 5th June 1977
I personally think it served its purpose and today our 115 group of islands in the Indian Ocean can be considered a democracy.
Yet we are not there yet.
Things happen. People let you down, there have been massive reverses. But we must continue. We cannot drop our guard, and let the evil of tyranny return… which is something that many people in Seychelles believe could happen.
Many people suffered and too many lives have been lost since the coup led by the power-hungry zealots France Albert Rene, Dr Maxime Ferrari, James Michel and Ogilvy Berlouis.
Multiparty politics was allowed only a decade or more later. At cost.
I admired Sir James and regarded him as a friend. I was exhilarated when he returned to the Seychelles from exile in April,1992.
The story is complex, but I felt despair when he started working with the dictator France Albert Rene.
Mancham’s own political party, the Seychelles Democratic Party, completely disappeared in its homeland. Most members of the party joined the SNP now LDS.
Well, that is now turning out badly.
Today in Seychelles, you can see some politicians still trying to fool the people. There is growing resentment that most of the politicians we have in the National Assembly still retain past and present associations with SPUP/SPPF/PL.
Even the threatened creation of a new political party will, I fear, not bring about more unity but instead inflame more division.
The Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission has so far failed in its key mission to bring unity and now Seychelles is more divided than ever.
The Commission’s report is due to be handed over to the National Assembly on 28 March.
I have a personal interest in it and after all this time I’m hoping that maybe we can get closure on the whole matter.
I want to remain optimistic – for we cannot give in.
I believe unity is the only way forward for Seychelles. Let us work together to achieve that. Let us start today.
* Additional material by Seychelles Life Correspondent