A COUNTRY’S DESTINY ON TRIAL

The debate at every street corner of our beloved island is centred around the petitions for declaring the last Presidential election void. The legal team will be filing 2 separate petitions structured in all the necessary legal technicalities. Every man and his dog about town have their respective opinions as to whether the trial will be fair and free from quiet interference from the ruling party. Whether judges will act as judges ought to or will history be repeated and once again deal a stacked hand against the majority of this forsaken country.

Filing of First Petition

Although formal election campaigning has now ceased, the pointer measuring election fever remains deep in the red scale. But as we patiently await the dates for the court hearing, the ruling party is doing their utmost to create a veil of normality over our day to day activities. And I look forward to the expected spin that our Minister will have to come up with when the subject of the famous “Renaissance Sociale” is once again packaged as the solution to all our social ills. How is our Minister going to tackle this small matter? How is he now going to act the saint and preach the gospel of “Renaissance Sociale” values? No doubt he will require to brush his acting skills up! We all await with earnest anticipation.

This trial is more than simply a matter for the courts to deliberate and conclude. Our country’s destiny is at stake. It will be a crucial stepping stone in how we will measure the values and beliefs that our future generation will have at hand in shaping our future. What template will the young leaders of this country for them to emulate? Unfortunately our recent history since the coup of 1977 leaves much to be desired in terms of example for emulation.

As far as past political heads of state are concerned, our country has yet to find its version of Nelson Mandela or have a meagre portion of the qualities of the great Gandhi. Fortunately the formation of Linyon Sanzman may be a timely platform in providing an avenue for good men and women to take on the clear and present evil that overwhelms this country. We have today the makings of what this country deserves to take us from this very dark past. It is not simply a question of gaining power but a duty for all to cease this opportunity and redirect our destiny. This country cannot survive on self praise, on self appraisal, and a constant overdose of spin, lies and deceit. And voluntary respect of the Constitution is where it all begins.

Filing of Second Petition

This country will start breathing once we start culturing the notion of self development as a priority, as opposed to seeking the immediate option of the begging bowl. And certainly not as one politician calls it, “the need for Seychelles to have a godfather figure”. No sir, this is not where this country will discover pride, self esteem and individual well being. This is why we are where we are today. It’s the poor vision of our past leaders willing to be lured towards the glitter of diamonds whilst sacrificing the necessity to first culture its people. We need to be economical in all our endeavours, cut waste. And finally we need not simply do things right, but we need to start doing the right things. As a proud nation. As a hard working society. As an honest and cultured people.

This country is desperate for a clean start. A clean moral slate. We will watch the judges as they deliberate. We need no favours, but we are also judges. This is the right of every citizen. And we will judge. We will judge if the verdict is a verdict for Seychelles. If there was ever a moment in our history that a “Refreshed Seychelles” is due, it is now.

God bless Seychelles.

Roy Fonseka