World > Africa > Seychelles > Government and Political Conditions (Notes)

Seychelles - Government and Political Conditions (Notes)

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS The president is both the chief of state and head of government and is elected by popular vote for a 5-year term. The Council of Ministers serves as a cabinet, and its members are appointed by the president. The unicameral National Assembly has 34 seats--25 elected by popular vote and 9 allocated on a proportional basis to parties winning at least 10% of the vote; members serve 5-year terms. The judicial branch includes a Court of Appeal and Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the president. The legal system is based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law. Seychelles has had a multi-party system with the adoption of a new Constitution in 1992. Since then, multi-party elections took place in 1993, 1998, 2001, 2006, and 2007. The Seychelles People?s Progressive Front (SPPF) won the presidency and majority in the National Assembly in all of the elections. Presidential elections were held in July 2006. Incumbent President James Michel of the Seychelles People?s Progressive Front, who was appointed to power by former President Rene in 2004, won his first elected term. The final vote count was 53.73% for Michel to 45.71% for opposition alliance candidate and Seychelles National Party (SNP) leader, Wavel Ramkalawan. The electoral process for the 2006 presidential elections was determined to be credible by international observers. Following a six-month boycott in the National Assembly by the SNP opposition party, President Michel dissolved the National Assembly on March 20, 2007. Early elections to fill the vacated National Assembly seats were held May 10-12, 2007. The SPPF won 18 district seats and the SNP/DP alliance won seven district seats. Under the system of proportional representation, the SPPF won five seats and the SNP/DP alliance won four seats. The electoral process for the 2007 National Assembly elections was determined to be credible by international observers. Principal Government Officials President--James Michel (Head of Defense, Police, Internal Affairs, Legal Affairs, Risk and Disaster Management) Vice President--Joseph Belmont (Head of Transport and Tourism and Public Administration) Ministers Finance--Danny Faure Arts, Culture & Sports--Sylvette Pool Foreign Affairs--Patrick Pillay Investment, Industries and Technology--Jacquelin Dugasse Environment and Natural Resources--Ronnie Jumeau Community Development and Youth--Vincent Meriton Land Use and Habitat--Joel Morgan Education--Bernard Shamlaye Health--Macsuzy Mondon Social Affairs & Employment - Marie-Pierre Lloyd Chief of Staff (Seychelles People's Defence Forces--SPDF)--Brigadier Leopold Payet Judiciary--Chief Justice Vivekanand Alleear Attorney General--Anthony Fernando Commissioner of Police--Gérard Waye-Hive Ambassador to the U.S.--Jérémie Bonnelame (simultaneously accredited to the United Nations, the United States, and Canada)