AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT 1986; SEYCHELLES

Amnesty International was concerned about the imprisonment of prisoners of conscience. No new "disappearance" cases were reported to Amnesty International during 1985 but the organization remained concerned about the government's failure to investigate allegations that at least seven people had either "disappeared" or been executed extrajudicially between 1977 and 1984. A prominent political opponent of the government was assassinated abroad. The government denied responsibility for the killing but there were allegations of official involvement.

Amnesty International adopted as a prisoner of conscience Jean Dingwall, a businessman detained without trial since September 1984 Under the Preservation of Public Security (Detention) Regulations Which allow indefinite detention without trial with no right to challenge the order in court. Jean Dingwall was apparently detained On suspicion of organizing political opposition, including a nonviolent demonstration which took place on 30 September 1984. He had previously been detained without trial in 1979 and between 1981 and 1983. It was the first time that he had been adopted by Amnesty International, although his detention had been investigated by Amnesty International once before.

Nine other prisoners of conscience were among a group of some 20 people detained in May and June for possessing or distributing literature criticizing the government. All but nine of those detained were soon released but three, two of whom were brothers, Joachim and Robin Sullivan, were still held untried at the end of 1985. Two other people were sentenced to a year's imprisonment in November but were released in December after remission for good conduct. Another four people were sentenced to suspended terms of imprisonment by the Supreme Court at a separate hearing in November but were not released until the next month. They included Andre Barallon, a stevedore, and Bernard Racombo, a former police Officer.

In another case, Amnesty International adopted as a prisoner of Conscience a known opponent of the government who was sentenced to imprisonment on criminal charges which appeared to have been fabricated for political reasons. Royce Dias was arrested in December 1984 and charged with possessing cannabis. He was tried by the Seychelles Supreme Court and convicted on 27 June. He was sentenced to seven and a half years' imprisonment, reduced on appeal in October to five years'. Before his arrest, Royce Dias had on several occasions been publicly named by President France-Albert Rene as an enemy of the government. He was also known to have expressed critical views about the government in press interviews. Royce Dias claimed in court that the cannabis had been placed in his car by an officer of the Police Mobile Unit, a paramilitary force whose duties do not normally include traffic control or criminal Investigation. The officer concerned denied this but Amnesty International noted that he was alleged to have harassed and intimidated political suspects on other occasions.

In July Amnesty International appealed for the government to establish an impartial inquiry into the fate of at least seven people reported to have been abducted by the security forces for political reasons between 1977 and 1984. In each of the seven cases Amnesty International had received detailed allegations about the abductions, including in some cases the names of the security officers said to have carried them out. The organization had also received allegations that police inquiries into the "disappearances" had been obstructed by the authorities. Moreover, the family of the person who had "disappeared" most recently - Alton Ah-Time, said to have been abducted and killed in September 1984 on account of his opposition to the government - was harassed. In May 1985 three of Alton Ah-Time's brothers - George, Wilhelm and Peter Ah-Time – were detained, assaulted and subsequently released by the security forces. Amnesty International drew these "disappearances" or extrajudicial executions to the attention of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and the UN Special Rapporteur on summary or arbitrary executions. However, by the end of 1985 the authorities were not known to have established any inquiry or to have issued any response.

On 29 November Gerard Hoarau, President of the exiled Seychelles National Movement, was killed by an unknown assailant outside his house in London. The Seychelles' authorities issued a statement deploring his murder and dissociating themselves from it. However, Amnesty International noted that the authorities had claimed to have kept Gerard Hoarau under surveillance for at least three years, and that several sources, including Gerard Hoarau himself shortly before his death, had claimed that the government had conspired to kill him while he was abroad. Amnesty International subsequently received allegations that his eventual murder was carried out with the complicity of the Seychelles Government.

Legalizing double voting; PERSEVERANCE

In what is being perceived as a total disregard for the views of the opposition and at least 50 percent of the population, the government has proposed amendments to the Elections Act that will allow residents of Perseverance to vote for two MNAs in a twelve-month period.

At present, when a new electoral area is approved by the National Assembly, receives the assent of the President and gazetted, the area automatically becomes a district upon the dissolution of the National Assembly.

During meetings between the Electoral Commission and representatives of political parties, objections were raised as the law says someone ought to have been a resident in an electoral area for at least three months at the time of elections to be allowed to vote.

To bypass this issue, the Elections (Amendment) bill 2016  published in the official gazette on 2 June states that where a new electoral area has gone through the process, the people living in that area will be able to vote in their previous district at an election.

The other problem raised during meetings between the EC and political parties involved young voters who have just turned 18 and living at Perseverance. The proposed law says they will be registered in their previous districts of residence even if they were kids before moving to Perseverance.

A third section makes provisions where Seychellois who have lived overseas and who are now residing at Perseverance, will have to register in the district where they originated. The most interesting part of the bill says that a referendum shall be held within a period of one year from the date of dissolution of the National Assembly.

To put it simply, if the National Assembly is dissolved next week,  residents of Perseverance will vote in their former districts and  within a year they will again vote at Perseverance for their own Member of the National Assembly (MNA).

“This is pure gerrymandering,” a senior official of the main opposition Linyon Demokratik Seselwa said adding that “given  that they will be voting for their own MNA within a year, residents of Perseverance should not vote in other districts.” The measures published in the official gazette may be unlawful and there is a strong possibility the amendments to the Elections Act may be challenged in court.

The decision taken by the government is pretty much in line with the stance taken by representatives of Parti Lepep during meetings with the Election Commission which suggested that citizens should be allowed to vote in the area where they last resided until such time that Perseverance residents are able to vote for their own MNAs. The opposition, on the other hand, had proposed an amendment to article 116 (5) of the Constitution to make a draft order come into effect upon its publication in the official gazette and not upon the dissolution of the National Assembly.

Source:TiS

BARBARIC ACTS OF A LIBERATOR; TELLING THE WHOLE STORY

With less than 250 years’ worth of history to our credit, our young nation most certainly wants to promote the little we do have and share it with the quarter million visitors who holiday in our country every year. And that is all the more reason why the stories and tragedies in our history must be told in their entirety and not from a single perspective.

The story of Pompée, the slave who was sentenced to die at the stake, is just one of the many tales already told through the critical eyes of the historian and now the romantic eyes of the artist. And credit for the dedicated art exhibition must go to our local artist and sculptor Egbert Marday.

Opening the exhibition to coincide with this year’s edition of FetAfrik, when our rainbow nation celebrates the African dimension in its melting pot, was well chosen too. Except that as is so common with our omnipresent party politics and political rhetoric in everything we do, the occasion seems to have given government ministers and officials another golden opportunity to claim credit on behalf of their government for improving things for everyone.

That the exhibition showcasing the life of the Mozambican slave and his ‘heroic’ murderous act against what some have termed “the barbaric system of 1810” should ‘bring the story to life for all Seychellois to understand what really happened so we can fully appreciate the future,’ may seem evident to the culture minister.

That it should ‘promote our vibrant history and give tourists and residents alike the opportunity to learn more about important aspects of our history’ may seem less evident to the rest of us, especially since the slave was tried and convicted of murder, even if he pleaded in court that he killed his white overseer because the latter beat him up and because he did not like to be commanded by a white man. The punishment received by the Mozambican-born field worker was that he be burned alive by the French colonial authorities on 15 August, 1810 near the Moosa River in the tiny nameless establishment of a very young colonial outpost barely 40 years old.

“We need to learn from that past so that we can appreciate the future,” the culture minister said as he opened the exhibition which could only have been one artist’s perspective on the slave’s life story. Of course Pompée’s story evokes oppression and repression, and heroism and revolt against barbarism. But it also evokes rebellion and a heinous crime by a man who broke the law. Pompée cleaved his overseer with a sickle whilst his partner in crime held him down. Hardly the stuff of romance and certainly no act of self defence!

This may have been one of the tales upon which our so-called people’s revolution of 1977 was justified with its promise to restore power to an oppressed nation. But it also illustrates perfectly the dangers of viewing history through rose tinted glasses and seeing it in a rosecoloured romantic perspective.

Whilst no one doubts that Pompée may have lived “a very hard life”, or ignore his courage in taking on a ruthless system, this like many other similar stories, must be told in its entirety if it’s to be a true lesson in history and if every Seychellois is to fully understand and appreciate its significance. The Colony of Seychelles in 1810 was part of Napoleon’s First Empire – a time when protest was met by repression. History recalls that Pompée was not burned because he was a black slave but because the small colonial outpost had no executioner to behead him. And besides, his death had to serve as an example to all who dared challenge the authority of the day in a colony of only 317 whites, 135 free blacks and 3,015 slaves.

Since 1810, our liberated country has seen many more Pompées and their stories too are waiting to be told. The post-revolutionary period after the 1977 coup d’état provided the backdrop for many other tragedies and their heroes that remain part of the living memory of many citizens to this day. Stories abound of those who lived, were persecuted and died for their sustained loyalty to the party politics of our pre-independence era. And if they may not have suffered the same fate of Pompée, history does recall Simon Denousse and his friend Mike Asher who died in the inferno of a vehicle on a deserted beach in the South of Mahé in 1982 and Gérard Hoarau gunned down on his front porch in a London suburb in 1985.

Pompée may be an essential part of our young history. But so are the likes of Simon and Gérard, Davidson Chang Him, Bérard Jeannie, Alton Ah-Time, Gilbert Morgan, Hassan Ali and many others who disappeared or were killed in circumstances that have never been elucidated and whose stories have never been told.

That’s why we must also make the same space for their stories in that place where “wonderful art can be placed” and where students, residents and tourists alike can “appreciate the history of Seychelles” and the barbaric acts of a liberator.

N. Tirant

Source:Today in Seychelles

HERMITTE TELLS IT ALL

The former Assistant Commissioner of Police, Godfra Hermitte resigned from his post on 21 March. He said then that he had been forced to do it and that he would give an explanation at a later date. This week, Mr Hermitte sat down with journalists to give an account of events that led to his resignation.

Things began to unravel for former Assistant Commissioner of Police, Godfra Hermitte some nine months ago, according to his accounts of the events that led him to submit his resignation earlier this year.

"I could not condone unethical practices and they didn't like it", Godfra Hermitte said.

Mr Hermitte told TODAY he was given a directive by the Minister for Home Affairs, Charles Bastienne to sack someone from the police force. He said the reason given was that the person “wasn’t one of us.” The implication was that the person, who worked at the Anse Boileau police station, was not a supporter of the ruling party. Mr Hermitte said he was extremely uncomfortable with the decision and made it known to anyone who would listen to him. “I was a professional and as such, I believe that wasn’t a valid reason to sack someone from the force. I believe that competence, honesty and loyalty to the organisation are the necessary requirements – certainly not a person’s political beliefs,” he said.

However, Mr Hermitte said he felt he was being tested and from then on things went from bad to worse.

Another test came before last December’s Presidential elections during the recruitment of new trainee police officers. Since he was the Assistant Commissioner responsible for support services, which also involved human resources, he expressed doubts on the recruitment process. “There were people who sat for the exams and failed, but were recruited. Some others simply failed to sit for the exam and they were selected,” he said, adding that “one got the impression that the Minister’s office was like a recruitment centre.” He said those youths had to be recruited no matter what as their votes and their families’ votes were crucial. “It was unprofessional and I again expressed my displeasure which must have certainly reached the ears of the Minister.”

 Mr Hermitte said that from then on, he felt he was sidelined from decision making. “Meetings were held and I was kept out of them. They just couldn’t understand my stance against politics in the civil service. Therefore they went out of their way to frustrate me,” he said.

According to Mr Hermitte’s account, things came to a head when he was summoned to the Minister’s office together with the Commissioner of Police to be told that he was being transferred to the office of the Minister as an advisor.

“I told the Minister that I needed time to think about the proposal. I spent a weekend agonising over it and I informed the Minister the following week that I would not mind being his advisor as long as I remained in the police force and based at the central police station.”

Mr Hermitte said that after ten days with no reply, he asked the ministry to propose a package, to which the Minister replied that he would refer the matter to the Commissioner of Police. However, he was in for a surprise as on 19 February, the Commissioner gave him a letter informing him that he was being transferred to the Minister’s office. “That was illegal. The Commissioner had absolutely no power to transfer me anywhere except within the force,’ he said.

Mr Hermitte added that he subsequently wrote to the Commissioner with queries regarding the issue. He said he never got an answer and his conclusion is that whatever happened to him was nothing but a political vendetta.

Source: Today in Seychelles

VICTIMISED AGAIN!

Boulle a victim of secret information;  Intershore Banking Corporation’s affair takes a new twist.

The Supreme Court, in a judgment delivered on 17 May, refused to divulge the secret information provided by a foreigner of the Financial Investigative Unit (FIU) to the Central Bank which was used to refuse the grant of a bank licence to the Seychellois company Intershore Banking Corporation whose owner is the lawyer Philippe Boullé, who is also a former chairman of Barclays Bank.

The Judgment was delivered in the course of an appeal by Intershore Banking Corporation against the decision by the Central Bank, wherein Intershore Banking Corporation had requested the Supreme Court to compel the Central Bank to produce the secret information to discredit Intershore Banking Corporation and its owner. Intershore relied on an article of the Constitution which provides for “a right of access of every person to information relating to that person and held by a public authority which is performing a governmental function and the right to have the information rectified or otherwise amended, if inaccurate.”

Philippe Boulle says he takes it as a situation of déja vu as it all reminds him of times gone by “when, under the one party system, the state used the dirty tactics of secret information to try and destroy me.”

He cited the incidents when he was imprisoned three times by presidential decree based on “secret information” provided by security forces which he said was “nothing but lies and rubbish while criminals and murderers were walking free on the streets with the security forces.”

He added that after he was imprisoned, he was refused a passport based on “secret information” supplied to the immigration officers “which again was nothing but lies, while passports were freely given to foreigners who were known rogues and criminals.”

Mr Boulle added that following the refusal of a passport he was refused a licence to practice his profession once more based on “secret information” supplied to the licensing authority. “With hindsight I see those incidents as childish manoeuvres by people drunk with power seized by force,” the lawyer said.

“Now years later, from childish behaviour to the ridiculous, my company, Instershore Banking Corp is refused a banking licence based again on “secret information” by a foreigner in the FIU.”

Philippe Boullé concludes that it is obvious that citizens are still shackled by malicious tactics and that “it is evident that the only way to liberate all Seychellois so that they can feely engage in the business of their choice without facing the nonsensical Gestapo style hurdles, is to have a change in the political landscape.”

Intershore Banking Corporation will appeal against the decision of the Supreme Court.

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO TERRY JULES?

This week marked the 3 year anniversary of the disappearance of a man from Anse La Mouche. His blue Terios Jeep the 34-year-old was driving was found parked by the roadside near Reef Holiday apartments at around 8pm on Sunday 19^th of May 2013.

“The parked jeep caught the attention of a police officer who noticed it was unattended and had some personal belongings in it like a laptop and some clothes, and on the road near the jeep was a mobile phone, all later identified as Jules”

Since the initial investigation everything has gone quiet; no further information has been produced as to his whereabouts or what really happened to him.

By A.Pierre

LDS PRESS RELEASE

LINYON DEMOKRATIK SESELWA

PRESS RELEASE

LDS propose process for Perseverance to become an Electoral Area immediately

LDS met with representatives of the Electoral Commission today, April 29, to discuss the issue of declaring Perseverance an Electoral Area in time for the forthcoming National Assembly elections.

Chairman Hendricks Gappy and Legal Counsel Samantha Aglae who represented the Commission said the meeting was to get the proposals of the parties on how this could be done in view of the time constraints imposed by the provisions of the Constitution and the Elections Act.

The proposal to declare Perseverance an electoral area was contained in a Draft Order passed by the National Assembly in October 2015. The Draft Order needs to be approved by the President and gazetted. This has not yet been done.

Under article 116 (5) of the Constitution , Perseverance will become an Electoral Area only at the dissolution of the present National Assembly for the next elections. The procedures for registration of voters under the Elections Act can take several weeks.

These provisions mean that they will not be registered in time to vote at the National Assembly elections.

The block of parties in Linyon Demokratik Seselwa have made proposals for legal amendments to overcome the present obstacles.

1.      Article 116 (5) of the Constitution to be amended for Perseverance to become an electoral area immediately when the Order is gazetted, not waiting for the Assembly to be dissolved.

2.      The  Elections Act to be amended for residents of Perseverance to be registered based on the existing list of residents used in the 2015 elections.

LDS have said the legal steps to establish the electoral area can be concluded within a week, and registration of voters can be concluded in time for the Assembly elections.

What is required is for the National Assembly to be called into session to pass these amendments and for the President to approve the Order and have it published.

The responsibility falls on James Michel to have these steps taken immediately. Not doing so will mean disenfranchising the residents of Perseverance by denying them the right to register in an electoral district in which they live and denying them the right to vote for a member of the National Assembly to represent their district.

Roger Mancienne

Chairman. Linyon Demokratik Seselwa

Victoria                                                                                   April 29. 2016

Mahe

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO FELIX MAUREL?

Private investigator insinuate foul play, inquiry to move to Farquhar.

A private investigator engaged by the Maurel family to help determined what happened to Felix Maurel who disappeared on Farquhar in April of 2010 has said his investigation suggest that was foul play involved given the circumstances of the disappearance.

The South African gave evidence in court on the third day of the hearing late last month, when the court concluded that it needs to retrace the footsteps of Mr Maurel on location at Farquhar itself in order to have a clearer insight into what could have happened.

The cost for the expedition is to be shouldered by the Maurel family, the same people who ordered the inquest initially and arrangements are ongoing for all parties concerned to go to Farquhar sometime later this month. 

In his statement to the court the South African investigator said he does not believe Mr Maurel went into the sea, or that he drowned for that matter as a result of that.

Most deponents in the case has suggested theoretically that Mr Maurel wnet into the sea at some point during the walk, as it was a very hot day and the sea was calm and inviting.

But the investigator said according to an experiment he carried out on his visit on the island, the body of Maurel would have remained afloat had he drowned, and would have been spotted by the search parties during the early days of the search.

Other testimonies adduced before the court so far state that Mr Maurel disappeared after abandoning a walk fifteen minutes into it accompanied by a bunch of friends he was holidaying with on Farquhar. 

Witnesses say he left the group to go back to where the boat was anchored, stating he was tired and not feeling well. 

But the skipper said Mr Maurel never made it back to the boat, stressing that he never left the boat out of view at any given time as he waited for group to return.

Source: Regar 2010

WHO BENEFITS FROM TOURISM ON FARQUHAR?

The Island D e v e l o p m e n t Company (IDC) has signed another deal for tourism on Farquhar Island. A company based in the UK specialising in fishing holidays, FlyCastaway, is now advertising packages offering a week’s stay on the island together with fishing, for the coast of US$7000 per person. These are offered for groups of 10, putting the weekly turnover at $70,000.

Prices have increased

These offers are being made to prospective clients all over the world, putting Farquhar tourism on a larger scale than it has been. How much the IDC will get out of this is not known yet but it can be expected to beat the $30,000 per week it has been getting from Mauritian tourists for years.

The new arrangement starts in February 2011, according to the advertisement. But this comes without the questions on Farquhar tourism being answered.

The first question is whether the island’s tourism business is legal and compliant with standards in the industry. IDC chief executive Glenny Savy has admitted that the establishment there does not have a licence. He has said this is not necessary because it is primarily a rest house intended for government officials or even other Seychellois who want to spend time there. But, we have never heard of such guests for Farquahar while groups of Mauritian tourists paying $3000 each have been regular.

After the mysterious disappearance of Mauritian Felix Maurel last year, the IDC has not come up with any assurances on the safety of visitors. Should it expand its activities without better safeguards?

FlyCastaway obviously intends to enlarge the scale of fishing that tourists can do. It offers both fly-fishing from the flats and sand bars and also fishing in the waters of the lagoon for grouper, tuna, sailfish and marlin. It will bring in four motorized skiffs for, in ots own words, “unleashing the offshore opportunities that await there”.

Obviously, this is on a much bigger scale than has been going on. But who gets the money? IDC executive Glenny Savy has never given any clear answer on how the money collected from Mauritian visitors over the past years has been accounted for. Auditors are supposed to be looking closely at the accounts of state-owned companies, but this part remains obscure.

If IDC is to engage in tourism on the islands it manages, it must do so within the rules and standards of the industry and with full transparency. Until it does that, its dealings will remain questionable.

Source: Regar 7-9-10

Amnesty Newsletter; SEYCHELLES EXILED LEADER KILLED

The murder of exiled Seychellois opposition leader Gerard Hoarau outside his home in London, England on 29 November 1985 was the latest in a series of incidents in which at least nine opponents of the government of President Albert Rene are reported to have been murdered or have "disappeared".

The current Government of the Seychelles came to power following a coup d'etat in June 1977. The following August, Hassan Umarji Ebrahim, a 45-year-old businessman and known government critic, "disappeared". He left his house after receiving a phone call from an unknown person. His empty car was discovered an hour later with the engine still running. His shoes were found nearby. Amnesty International (AI) later received detailed allegations suggesting that Hassan Umarji Ebrahim had been abducted and killed by members of the security forces because of his political views. A former police officer told AI that police files on the case had vanished from the archives as a result of an intervention by senior officials.

STRANGE

In October 1982 and July 1983 a further four people died in strange circumstances. The two victims in 1982 were Simon Desnousse, a Seychellois student leader, and Mike Asher, a South African, said by the authorities to have blown themselves up with a homemade bomb. In July 1983 Michael Hoffman, a former policeman, and Tony Elizabeth, were killed after their car was attacked at night by unknown assailants. A third man, Brian Victor, was left for dead hut subsequently recovered and claimed that he and his companions had been attacked by members of the security forces. Al has received reports that all of these killings were carried out for political reasons by members of the security forces who had tried to disguise them either as accidents or as the work of common criminals.

VICTIMS

The latest "disappearances" reported in the islands occurred in August and September 1984. The victims were Jean Guillaume, a 22-year-old labourer, and Alton Ah-Time, a known government opponent. Al again received reports that both had been abducted and killed by members of the security forces because of their actual or suspected political activity. Their bodies are said to have been dumped at sea.

On 3 October 1984 Alton Ah-Time's mother, Simone Ah-Time, wrote an open letter to a local newspaper in which she claimed that her son had been followed and intimidated by security officers on several occasions in the previous eighteen months. Since then, at least two members of the Ah-Time family have been detained and allegedly beaten by security officers.

AI has appealed a number of times to the Seychellois authorities to establish an impartial inquiry into this series of deaths and "disappearances" but without response.

LEADER

Shortly before he was killed, Gerard Hoarau, leader of the exiled Seychelles National Movement, claimed that the Seychellois Government had planned to kill him in France. He alleged that the French police had been informed of the plan: that it was to have been carried out by a professional gunman hired by an associate of President Rene, and that the weapons for the assassination were to have been smuggled into France in the diplomatic bag.

Gerard Hoarau was a former immigration officer in the Seychelles. In November 1979, he was one of about 811 people detained on suspicion of organizing an underground opposition movement which had circulated literature criticizing the government. The authorities also claimed that Hoarau was involved in a plan to overthrow the government by force, although he was never charged with any offence. He was released untried after eight months' detention. In March 1980 Hoarau was one of several detainees visited by an AI delegate, Kenyan lawyer Amos Wako, who recorded a conversation with Hoarau in prison.

This echo from the past is brought by the Voice, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) focused on Human Rights in Seychelles and defending victims of fundamental rights abuses. The launch of the NGO is imminent.

https://www.facebook.com/thevoiceseychelles/

“VICTORY IS OURS” LDS

Linyon Demokratik Seselwa held its first public meeting in Victoria yesterday.

The Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS) or ‘Seychellois Democratic Alliance’ which brings together four existing political parties, held its first public meeting yesterday to outline its strategies particularly for the forthcoming National Assembly elections. The meeting was also aimed at reassuring party supporters that the LDS remained united despite speculation that various groups were at odds with each other over a common list of candidates for the elections. Leaders called on party supporters to give their unconditional support to candidates presented by the LDS in each district.

The leader of the Seychelles National Party, Wavel Ramkalawan announced that the LDS will put forward new candidates from all groups within the movement. He mentioned in particular, the LDS candidate for Perseverance, Mr Wavel Woodcock. Lawyer Clifford Andre will stand in the Anse Aux Pins constituency. Ahmed Afif of Lalyans Seselwa will represent the LDS in the Anse Etoile district and Godfra Hermitte will stand in the Port Glaud electoral area.

Mr Ramakalwan said it was vital that the LDS secures a majority in the National Assembly to carry out the changes that is required in the country.

The four parties that make up the Linyon Demokratik Seselwa are the Seychelles National Party (SNP), Lalyans Seselwa (LA) the Seychelles Party for Social Justice and Democracy (SPSD) and it also has the support of the Seselwa United Party (SUP). Roger Mancienne of the SNP is the leader of the party. Lalyans Seselwa’s Clifford Andre is the Secretary General whilst Roy Fonseka of the Seychelles Party for Social Justice and Democracy is the treasurer.

Source: Today in Seychelles

TON PATS COLUMN; BRAVO TO THE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Following the tirade that James Michel hurled at the health and education professionals; at least one of the two ministers concerned met with her ‘Waterloo ‘ in the afternoon of Monday 22^nd February, in the Ministry of Health. The woman whose wardrobe seems to consists of anything and everything red, had called a meeting of all health professionals, seemingly to follow-up on the litany of instances of alleged malpractice and mismanagement, which were levelled against her ministry, by her boss during his SONA last week.

One health worker opined that she suffered from a Freudian slip and started off addressing what she thought was a gathering of party faithfuls from Marie Jeanne Estate on Baie Ste. Anne Praslin!

Not only have the health professionals been ridiculed about their performance; but to add insult to injury, they have also been accused of politicking while on duty. What is ironic is that the person the most guilty of abusing her position to politicize and campaign in the Ministry of Health, is Madam Mitcy Larue herself !

She has her team of foot soldiers at all levels in the ministry, who before and during last year’s presidential election were campaigning for the ruling party. Perhaps the most glaring and objectionable incident was when Michel Faure got the Cuba trained doctor to don his ‘kitenge’ and address the crowd at the rally, where he denigrated the opposition’s supporters, particularly the Lalyans Seselwa Executive Committee Members!

How can the general public have faith in the health system when health professionals who are supposed to serve without fear nor favor, openly show allegiance to a party that has a record of victimization of the Seychellois who are political dissidents? Interestingly enough while his colleagues health professionals openly and candidly expressed their outrage and frustrations to the Minister, the doctor who was kitenge clad during the rally of the reds, sat and listened in muted silence.

Whispers doing the rounds in the hospital have it that State House has not kept its promise to the good doctor to elevate him to the rank of minister. He had allegedly agreed to come out and speak in favour of Michel on the understanding that he would be replacing the ‘lady in red!’ Perhaps you should stick to your scalpel dear doctor. Politics are for the rough and tough and many have been used and discarded after they had served their purpose for Michel and co.

It would appear that Mrs. Larue had dangled some obscure promise before the health professionals, to be delivered on health workers day, but this cut no ice with those who had had enough of being unappreciated while giving their best. When a leader fails to understand and appreciate the challenge, frustrations and low morale of his or her troops, then he or she is no more a leader and should step aside in the interest of the organization and in this case, of the Ministry of Health and ultimately in the interest of the Seychellois patients who are its clients.

One thing is clear,- the professionals in this country have found their voice. Gone are the days when the Seychellois workers do not question the shenanigans of the ruling party. If Madam Larue is to seriously start on an audit of MOH, she should start with the dialysis unit which has been the subject of much controversy over the last year. The only way to clear all the accusations around the Abu Dhabi backed company managing the dialysis unit, is to bring in an independent firm (from South Africa for example), to carry out a comprehensive audit of this unit. That is if the CEO would give his blessings to such a development!

Finally, I have spent four very fulfilling years at the Ministry of Health and I have witnessed just how devotedly and how hard the health professionals work to keep the service delivery at an acceptable level.

For a leader and a supposedly Head of State at that, to publicly berate, criticize and scold the health professionals the way Michel did, is to lower their worth in the eyes of people whom they serve. That is a sign of a weak leader and at the very least a leader who has not grasped the basics tools of organizational management and inspirational leadership.

I therefore salute all health professionals who gave the minister a good dose of home truth! I know that home truths hurt. Perhaps she will do the most honourable thing and find an exit where she would not lose face.

As for the other professionals in the public service, my advice to you all is to stand up for your rights and for the respect that you deserve. Do not give in to incompetent and under- qualified leaders who are supposedly running government without knowing their -sides from the hole in the ground.

Long live freedom of speech.

Source:Seychelles Weekly

MEMBER GOES NUTS AT MARCO FRANCIS

Dear Editor,

I refer to your article on page 2 in yesterday’s newspaper and wish to make the following observations.

 As a member of the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) for over a decade, I find it disrespectful to all members that the SCCI Chairman Mr. Marco Francis has gone on record to make several comments in regards to the 13th paycheck or end-of-year bonus that was introduced last year by President James Michel as a populist measure in order to woo the electorate to vote for his party.

Firstly, the SCCI should have consulted with and should have asked the views of all its paid members. According to Mr. Francis, the majority of businesses in the private sector are already giving a 13th month salary and that most of the companies agree with the President’s proposal. Can Mr. Francis please provide the members with the survey that he has done personally, or perhaps one that SCCI has done to prove this? In reality, no such survey was done and therefore, Mr. Francis’ comments do not reflect the views nor the will of its members. Lest we forget, Mr. Francis was an avid supporter of President Michel in the last election and he is once again showing that his allegiance lies not with the SCCI members but with the President instead.

Secondly, Mr. Francis states that “we cannot have two systems whereby one group is having a 13th month salary and a few is (sic) not getting it.” Why not Mr. Francis? If our already bankrupt Government wants to waste more taxpayers money by dishing out election favours in order to win votes, does that mean that the private sector has to bankrupt itself as well?

Thirdly, “we cannot have an unfair system in Seychelles”, Mr. Francis tells us. Has it not occurred to Mr. Francis that we already have an unfair system for housing, for land allocation, for welfare, for jobs, for pensions, for security clearance, for licenses, for GOPs, etc...? All condoned by the same corrupt Government I might add. Therefore, if STC pays out 15 paychecks each year or SPTC gives out 2 bonuses, do we in the private sector have to agree with this madness?

Fourthly, Mr. Francis now wants certain companies who cannot afford to pay the 13^th salary or companies in financial difficulties to be exempted. Seriously? Please tell us who will approve or disapprove such exemptions? Or shall we see the creation of another “13^th Month Bonus Commission” by the President, which will probably comprise of some familiar board members, with Mr. Francis himself appointed to chair the board?

Fifthly, Mr. Francis contradicts his “unfair” statement by wanting expatriate workers in the construction companies exempted as “this will adversely affect construction businesses in the country”. He also wants to exclude people above managerial positions from receiving a 13th month salary, stating that the proposed 13th month salary “is to help ordinary people and not high earners”. I assume that Mr. Francis considers all management staff as “out of the ordinary” and undeserving of such bonuses. Thus, here we go again in creating an unfair system for workers in our country, all courtesy of a President who by the way has never owned nor managed a private business in his life. He did manage to bankrupt the country as Minister of Finance though, so I guess he now qualifies to bankrupt most businesses in Seychelles as well, all with the assistance and wisdom of Mr. Francis, a man at the helm of SCCI who ironically is supposed to work on behalf of the private sector.

The appalling business decisions taken by President Michel in the run-up to the election and the additional measures announced during his State of the Nation address only serve to underline the weaknesses of this Government, one that can only be seen to be grasping at straws in order to hold on to power. Giving away taxpayers money so frivolously will only serve as a short-term pacifier and while welcomed by many, will come back to bite us all in the medium term as companies curtail investments and cut back on employment in order to keep their heads above water. This country is already bankrupt, courtesy of an inept Government. And whoever coined the term “intellectually spent” prior to the elections when referring to the Government in power should receive one of those fake, honorary degrees. And both Mr. Michel and Mr. Francis are experts in that domain.

 In the end, the 13th month salary would not require a discussion if it had been publicly debated first before any announcement was made. It is clear that this is yet another misconceived idea that will have serious impact on employment in the years to come if it becomes law, and one that could force certain businesses to close down. Simply put, the private sector cannot be made to pay for the folly of James Michel and his irresponsible Government, and Marco Francis should know better than to misrepresent the views of the SCCI members.

A.L.

Source:Today in Seychelles

TON PAT’S COLUMN; AFRAID TO ASK FOR ‘PARDON’?

The sad demise of Adalbert Denousse on the streets of Victoria has brought back memories of some of the saddest and darkest hours of our post-independence history. I am thinking here of the murder of Simon Desnousse, a young vivacious student with courage and obvious leadership skills.

 However, he was one of the sacrificial lambs who were used to instill fear and obeisance in the Seychellois people, as the authoritarian rule of post 1977 became entrenched and fear spread like a dark cloud over the population. Many of us will remember photographs of the scene at Anse Forban in the south of Mahé, where he and his friend the South African national -Mike Archer had been blown apart by a car bomb.

The unfortunate accident.

Word spread soon after of how they had been tortured before being put back into the vehicle and a bomb set off seemingly from under the car. We should never allow ourselves to forget that such real heroes like Simon Desnousse, Alton Ah-Time and Gerard Hoarau actually lost their lives as a sacrifice for us to move on to the road to multi-party democracy. It may not have been obvious at the time, but their lives were a sacrifice which started the slow process of creating an awareness in the minds of our oppressors that the time was to come when we will stand up to them and show clearly that those lost lives have not been in vain. At the right time when the so called liberatorsturned oppressors are gone, we, the Seychellois people will find a fitting way to remember those who were brave enough to stand up to the bullies and in so doing, lost their lives.

Was the Policeman riding recklessly?

It is time for us to revisit the past to bring healing to the nation. Time waits for no man and there are those in our society who are waiting to hear the truth, to forgive those who have committed these atrocities and to get closure. There is no need here to advance any moral, intellectual or political arguments. There are so many documented examples in countries around us where healing and reconciliation have taken place, because there was political will and political courage to bite the bullet. In the case of Simon Desnousse there is talk that one of the perpetrators of this horrendous crime, hallucinates often and cries asking for a chance to ask for forgiveness from the family of the victim. Once again the question that begs an answer is- why can we not set up a healing and reconciliation commission to enable those who have lost their loved ones to know exactly what happened and thus find closure?

Equally important is the need for the perpetrators to be afforded an opportunity to confess their crimes and ask for forgiveness! Although nobody talks about it the individual cases openly in most of the cases, the perpetrators are known to the families of those who were tortured, killed, and disappeared.

 It takes a brave and courageous leader to take a concrete decision to let the truth be told and forgiveness to take place. As a Christian society, we are a forgiving people and do not to belong to a culture of revenge. Time is running out and those who should and must take the lead in creating structures for healing for the sins of the past, are though alive; not in the best of health.

24 hours after the accident, markings are sprayed down

 Are we going to be bold and set up a commission which will facilitate things for whosoever needs to ask for forgiveness and atonement, to actually depart from this earthly existence to knowing they have made peace with themselves and the people they were meant to have served? Whether we like it or not, truth liberates!

I know that what frightens everybody is the possibility of criminal prosecution. This is where the mandate and terms of reference of the commission has to be well defined beforehand and the emphasis being placed on forgiveness and healing. The programme called ‘restorative justice’ which has been started in the Montagne Posée prison, is a good example of such a programme where if possible, good faith and trust is the bedrock of such an initiative.

 It will go a long way towards bringing about real and meaningful healing amongst the nation so that we can move forward to the next level. We will not be able to keep what happened in the post 1977 years, under wraps forever!

Meanwhile for those of us who believe in an afterlife and in God, we live in the comfort that the Desnousse father and son will be reunited in radiant love.

R.I.P.

SEYCHELLOIS OVERSEAS IN UPROAR AT UK PRIME MINISTER

Rt Hon David Cameron MP - UK Parliament

10 Downing Street, London, SW1A 2AA

 Dear Prime Minister,

It is with regret that I have read that you have recently sent a message to congratulate James Michel on his election victory as the President of the Seychelles.

As you are well aware, the last presidential elections that were held on the 18th of December 2015 in the Seychelles have been contentious and are disputed. Following allegations of widespread vote rigging, bribing of voters and intimidation of opposition voters, the opposition parties have referred this matter to the courts in the Seychelles. The case is ongoing. The government of the United States of America has raised serious questions about the validity of those election results and has called on the regime to address the concerns raised by the opposition.

James Michel; the illegal President

 These elections as with previous ones have followed very much the same pattern of irregularities by the ruling regime, ever since Prime Minister John Major played a major role in forcing the return of multi-party democracy in 1992.

My family is of Seychellois descent and my husband was exiled from Seychelles by this very regime that has held an iron grip in the Seychelles since they usurped power in the Seychelles on the 5th of June 1977. His brother, Gerard Hoarau, who was the leader of the exiled opposition was gunned down in the streets of London on the 29th of November 1985. This case has yet to be solved by Scotland Yard. Previous to that agents of that regime had illegally bugged his house on British soil. The current regime in the Seychelles has changed very little from the one that usurped power in 1977. James Michel was one of the ringleaders in that coup that eventually led to the imprisonment, forced exile and disappearances of many political opponents.

James Michel; the terrorist

 Frankly we are deeply dismayed by your congratulatory message to James Michel and his regime especially as those election results are still being contested in the courts. While I applaud the stand of the US government in this regard, we feel that your message, which is tantamount to one of support and recognition for such a regime was ill timed and is a complete betrayal of the conservative values of democratic, responsible and accountable governance that is the very essence why we vote Conservative. This regime and its supporters are now using your message, pasting it all over social media as a ringing endorsement of them and their methods.

US Ambassador Vilarosa with Linyon Sanzman leaders

We wish to express our disappointment and urge you as both a Conservative and Prime Minister of Britain, one of the world’s oldest democracies to be more critical of that regime so as to help in the ongoing struggle to establish real democracy and transparent governance in the Seychelles.

Yours sincerely,

 Josette Hoarau

Source:Seychelles Hero: Gerard Hoarau Group

DISAPPEARANCE OF FRANCIS MONCHOUGUY

Francis Monchouguy was only 19 years of age when he disappeared mysteriously and to this day there is no trace of his body. At such a young age he had not had been given the opportunity to live his life as a teenager and although he did not enjoy the use of a lap top or a mobile phone his pleasures were no less enjoyable as a teenager growing up in Pointe Larue.   The skull recently found in Bel Ombre, which the police is hiding the revelation of its DNA until after the Presidential elections is a shameful act on the part of the Commissioner of Police who is no doubt taking his orders from the big house on the hill.

Francis Monchouguy

One afternoon on 20 December 1991 Francis told his mum he wanted to go and buy something in the shop and at 19 he did not require to be chaperoned especially in a country like Seychelles where we know each other.  He went to the shop but he never returned and when his father Paul Monchouguy, who was the Democratic Party Representative for Pointe Larue went to the police station, they told him they had to wait 24 hours before they could consider Francis a Missing Person then they will act. 

That night his father went round the District of Pointe Larue making enquiries and he was told by several people that they saw Francis being asked to get into a car but they did not have the description of the car nor could they see the driver but they were of the opinion that there was a woman in the car whom Francis appeared to know and she was talking to Francis beckoning him to come into the car.  In those days people feared for their life and even if they knew who took Francis away and killed him and disposed of his body they would not give any names. Such was the barbaric state of Seychelles in the years following the Coup D’état and today the same people who took part in taking the country at the point of a gun have the bloody nerve to come on TV and smile at us telling us they have saved Seychelles and we are doing very nicely when our country is bankrupted and we cannot repay our International Loans and our national debt stands at 65% of our GDP. Who do they think they are kidding?

They got away with murder and now they want us to idolise them and thank them for our current economic turmoil. Francis had nothing to do with politics and if they were real men they would have tried to deal with his father but instead they chose a weak target because they are cowards and they will burn in hell for what they have done to Francis.  The Chang Tave and the Monchouguy families want to know what really happened to Francis so that they can bring closure to their loss. Until this happens a curse has been placed on those who took Francis’ life away and the perpetrators including those who gave the orders will perish a slow death as their punishment. They have no shame and no integrity and so far they have not shown one iota of courage and seek forgiveness for their misdemeanours.  We are ready to forgive but we will never forget.

Francis is my nephew and I have promised my sister, who has now passed away, that I will do my best to find out what really happened to her son. Nowadays one lives in hope and retaliation is not an option because one bad deed to try make up for another bad deed is not the answer and revenge can be avoided if the truth is told and forgiveness is exercised. Francis’ father, like all Seychellois, have the right to belong to any political party because this is one of our fundamental human rights guaranteed by our Constitution and by International Human Rights Treaties. Gone are the days when Seychellois would shiver in their skin at the sight of a few army people exercising along the road in their uniforms carry guns or a few boats in the harbour moving around aimlessly trying to show their presence.  This kind of intimidation belongs to days gone by and does not instil fear in the people who now uses the Social Media to get their message across. We do not need SBC.

This year Francis would have been 43 years old. We hope that soon a new Government will be installed and a Truth and Reconciliation Commission will be created and we will know the truth about Francis and his soul can rest in peace. The same can be said for all the souls whose life was ended prematurely following the Coup D’état and the years that followed.  

Contributed by: Barry Laine. barrylaine@hpcgroup.sc   

Ton Pat’s Column; STANDING UP FOR WHAT’S RIGHT

In the last three decades, we as a nation have been living in fear. We are coming of age. We will not give in to victimization tactics. We are following our hearts, to be guided by our hearts, to steer us in the right direction, the bottom line is to ensure that we treat others the way we want to be treated.

A lot of blood, sweat and tears from our fathers, mothers and other compatriots got us to where we are at today. We cannot take lightly what they sacrificed to make us what we are today as a nation.

 One of our principles in Lalyans Seselwa is to encourage our citizens to be more active and engaged in the affairs (in all spheres) of the nation, especially where it concerns a government which treats us as morons. It is for this reason that I am this week writing about the Baie Lazare MNA saga.

 It is a fact that the petition asking the MNA to resign emanated from two lead activists from Lalyans Seselwa in Baie Lazare. Before they went around with the petition, the issue was discussed in our weekly meetings of district representatives. We all felt that they should go ahead and get the inhabitants of Baie Lazare to sign the petition.

There are different ways of making one’s concerns heard, as in a protest march and other tools. A petition is probably the tool that is most likely to not to end up with silence, arrest or even incarceration. The bottom line is that we have to speak up when it comes to our rights and freedoms.

We in Lalyans Seselwa have taken a pledge that we will not be silent when we see and witness gross violation of our rights and freedoms by the ruling party. I have been asked why are we targeting Wilby Lucas? As leader of Lalyans Seselwa I have to categorically state that it was never our intention to target Wilby personally, or his immediate family! In my time as a member of the SPPF, I got to know Wilby well. Both he and his wife served the country as true professionals in Anse Boileau and Baie Lazare.

I am well aware that Mr. Lucas has helped many a client and common person in legal matter, where and when said clients were unable to afford usual legal fees. In that sense he must be commended for putting his professional creed and his Christian compassion before his own financial gain or self-agrandisement. In that sense he is quite different from many in the legal fraternity.

 I am also aware that Mr. Lucas is currently facing grave health challenges and on that aspect, both on my personal behalf and on that of all activists and supporters of Lalyans Seselwa, we wish him God Speed and a full recovery to normalcy.

That said I would like to explain that the aim of the petition was more importantly to awaken the ruling party (to which Mr. Lucas belongs), the executive and the legislative to the plight of the Baie Lazare residents who have not had any representation in the National Assembly for more than two years!

Surely this cannot go on indefinitely. Normally, when a Seychellois worker goes on medical leave for more than 15 days, does he continue to get paid by the government or the private sector indefinitely? What is good for the goose must also be good for the gander!

Furthermore it is obvious that the ruling party did not see it fit and fair to assist Mr. Lucas and get him to vacate the National Assembly seat and hold a bi-election as was the case in Anse Aux Pins two or three years ago. After all Mr. Lucas has been a conscientious and devoted supporter of the SPPF for many years. This is one example of the ruling party abandoning its generals in their most dire hours of need!

It is surely a good sign that committed and engaged citizens are now standing up for their own rights and freedom and also boldly taking the executive and the legislature to task, where they are seen as failing in serving the very people they are being paid to serve!

This is particularly significant for a district in the South of Mahé which has traditionally been SPPF/Lepep. A sure sign that the winds of change are blowing in the south and the once mighty and fearsome ruling party, may be crumbling. 2016 is surely going to be a year of change. The time for fear of victimization and intimidation may well be behind us. We in Lalyans Seselwa will continue to fight and bring enlightenment and freedom for all the people of Seychelles.

In conclusion, may I once again wish Mr. Wilby Lucas and his family every good and God’s blessings for a full recovery.

THE IRRESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT OF JAMES MICHEL

The Seychelles ministry of tourism and culture did not take necessary measures to rid the building of the fungus 

Just before the last elections, a large number of books were moved out of the National Library to make space for Mr Hendrick Gappy, the Electoral Commissioner. The books were put in hired leaky containers outside the building and later moved to Providence. It has now been discovered that the books have been damaged.

Archives documents loaded on a lorry to take to Providence

Loading in the container.

Waiting for the fumugation

More than 20 years ago, a Seychellois made a report on the serious situation at the National Archives. Since then the government has spent over SCR 5 million to try to remedy the situation without any result. Local laboratory technicians inspected the building and found out that it was infected by fungus. Then the authorities decided unethically to use “Ozone” and since then, many staff members have become sick. A few months ago, they were advised by a wellknown Seychellois Conservator in Australia to stop using ozone. The Seychelles National Archives could not provide him a copy of the building plan for him to study, and they could not find money to get him to Seychelles. However, they managed to find over SCR300 000 to import three French people and also provided them with a copy of the plan. Before the arrival of the three French persons, they decided to clean the Archives for the first time and use Ozone to the maximum to kill the fungus so that the French experts would not be able to detect the fungus. However, the experts also found out that the ozone was too high and told them to stop using it. The last person in Seychelles to have studied archival restoration has meanwhile summited his resignation, and apparently the French experts will submit their reports in three months’ time.

Benjamin Rose Principal Secretary for Culture and the highly paid French expert Marie Dominique Parchas 

The people await the change of government before it’s too late.

To be continued..

A Seychellois