Avaaz petition asks that three neutral members be added.
A petition was recently launched on the world’s largest and most effective online campaigning website, Avaaz.org by Tex J.G. Albert in an attempt to get the attention of the recently formed Seychelles National Forum.
In the petition, Seychellois born Tex J. G. Albert who resides in Canada states that a National Forum is meant to be composed of a neutral committee with representatives having the nation’s interest at heart. Mr Albert also says that those members should be tasked to advise the President on appropriate measures to take in both domestic and foreign issues that impact on society such as socio-economic issues, climate change problems and piracy to name a few.
“But how can the forum be considered neutral and impartial when President Michel himself chairs the committee?”, Mr Albert asks.
Tex J. G. Albert goes on to mention in his petition that Seychelles acceded to independence from Great Britain on 29 June 1976 but that this was then followed by a coup d'état on 5 June 1977. The current president is the second since the coup d’état and is from the same organisation that led the coup d'état, installing a one-party regime.
“This is a far cry from the spirit of national unity of the coalition government that led the country to independence,” he said.
The petition which was created last week has been the subject of much interest in Seychelles and the numbers of signatories supporting it is rapidly increasing.
“We the signatories recognise the importance of the creation of the National Consultative Forum in Seychelles, by President James Michel, at this crucial threshold of the history of our nation. We trust that this Forum will address effectively issues of national unity in order to chart with vision and compassion the way forward for an ever stronger united people of Seychelles, empowered to meet with confidence and synergistic resourcefulness the social, economic and environmental challenges we face both locally and globally,” says the online petition.
The objective of the petition is to gain 250 signatories who support the initiative to request the introduction of three more participants in the newly formed National Forum Committee. Mr Albert asks that he is included in the forum.
In addition, the petition request the launch a National Truth, Reparation, Pardon and Reconciliation Commission for a thorough national exercise to address the impact of the 1977 coup d'état and ensuing governance in a spirit of restorative justice as well as to recognise the achievements made by the nation since its independence on the 29th June 1976.
Members of the newly formed National Forum Committee formed on 29 July: President James Michel, Vice-President Danny Faure, Bishop Denis Wiehe, Mr Daniel Belle, Mr Marco Francis, Mr Jude Fred, Mr Bernard Georges, Mr Edmond Hoareau, Mr Michel Madeleine, Mrs Marguerite Mancienne, Mrs Malbrook Pardiwalla, Mr William Rose, Mr Nirmal Kantilal Shah, Mr Patrick Victor and Mr Jean Weeling.
Source: Today
