VICTORIA, Seychelles — The National Assembly has approved, by 23 votes to four, the repeal of the Liberation Memorial Fund Decree, with members of the LDS supporting the move and members of the US opposing it. The debate, led by Minister for Internal Affairs Errol Fonseka, examined the relevance and administration of the fund, which was established following the 1977 coup d’état.
Speaking during the debate, Minister Fonseka argued that the decree no longer serves a useful purpose, given the existence of several legal provisions to provide support for individuals who need or deserve it. He noted that the fund had been used to provide benefits for former defence force soldiers and police officers who had served, and that over time it had become clear that the fund was being used as a source of benefits to favour certain defence force members and police officers who had died.
He also pointed out that the information regarding the granting of these benefits to individuals did not indicate on what basis the competent authorities had established the criteria for qualification, with the application of disciplinary forces being questioned. The leader of the opposition, Honourable Sebastien Pillay, was the only US member to speak against the repeal, questioning the true motive behind the move. The three other US members who intervened spoke in favour of repealing the decree, citing transparency and modernisation concerns.
