After Election Shake-Up, the Seychelles Enters Uncharted Political Waters

After Election Shake-Up, the Seychelles Enters Uncharted Political Waters
Then-vice president of the Seychelles, Danny Faure, addresses the U.N. General Assembly, New York, Sept. 27, 2013 (U.N. photo by Rick Bajornas).

Last month, the Seychelles’ president, James Michel, resigned after his political party, known as Parti Lepep, lost parliamentary elections. Vice President Danny Faure will be sworn in later this month to complete the remainder of Michel’s five-year term. In an email interview, Yolanda Sadie, a professor at the University of Johannesburg, discussed politics in the Seychelles.

WPR: What were the main issues that dominated the recent elections in the Seychelles, and what explains the opposition Linyon Demokratik coalition’s victory?

Yolanda Sadie: Economic issues dominated the election. During the campaign, the incumbent Parti Lepep, or People’s Party, highlighted its achievements of the past few years, such as restoring economic growth and creating more opportunities for citizens, particularly youth, through entrepreneurship. The Linyon Demokratik coalition, or LDS, promised economic reforms, including attacking inequality more vigorously, spending more on education, and protecting small businesses against monopolies. In essence, the LDS promised more of what Parti Lepep has been doing.

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article by submitting your email address below. You'll also get access to three articles of your choice each month and our free newsletter:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having a personal curator and expert analyst of global affairs news. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of tens of thousands of articles.
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday.
  • Regular in-depth articles with deep dives into important issues and countries.
  • The Daily Review email, with our take on the day’s most important news, the latest WPR analysis, what’s on our radar, and more.
  • The Weekly Review email, with quick summaries of the week’s most important coverage, and what’s to come.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review