Alexia Amesbury held the first press conference since her party's registration on Saturday while the PDM announced David Pierre's candidature yesterday.
"James Michel has asked for proof of corruption and we will give it to him", presidential candidate Alexia Amesbury said on Saturday during her party's first press conference since its launch.
Mrs Amesbury said she had proof that two Ministers - who she refused to name - had indulged in corrupt practices and that she would make the matter public, provide proof to substantiate her claims and call for their resignation "between now and the election".
She refused to say more for the time being.
The leader of the Seychelles Party for Social Justice and Democracy (SPSD) also said that one of the reasons she called Saturday's press conference was to "relate my experience as the first woman presidential candidate". She said that "it hasn't been easy and I know it will get harder". Mrs Amesbury complained last week of attempts at intimidation that consisted of the murder of eight of her dogs and threatening text messages and telephone calls.
Her findings were that 40 years after independence, "politics in Seychelles is still based on fear and intimidation". She said that she has realised that people "are still afraid to express themselves, they're still scared to come forward and publicly declare their allegiance to a political party".
This led the lawyer to conclude that "Seychelles is not a democracy because in a real democracy, people aren't scared to express themselves. In Seychelles, freedom of expression only applies to the party in power".
She also made an appeal to the powers that be, asking them "not to abuse their power. They have money, they have the police, they have the armed forces at their disposal. I am asking them not to use those to victimise other political parties", Mrs Amesbury said.
Asked whether she meant to say that she feared for her life, the lawyer said "I am not scared of the police and the army; they wear their uniform. What I am scared of are the masked men who only act in the middle of the night. I am scared of the hidden enemies", she said.
Her husband who was also present at the press conference, claimed that someone armed with a knife had been at their house in the middle of the night last week.
Mrs Amesbury also explained that she had withdrawn her case asking the Constitutional Court to find the voters register not credible because she wanted to keep her options open "in case the court did declare the register credible. Then I would not have been in a position to contest the results after the election".
Mrs Amesbury did not officially announce her candidature for the December election nor did she officially reveal the name of her running mate even though it was expected she would. Asked why, she said no other opposition party had officially announced their candidates and that there was no rush.
The leader of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM, David Pierre for his part, officially announced his candidature at December's election yesterday afternoon. More on this, tomorrow.
Source: Today in Seychelles
