VICTORIA, Seychelles — Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS) intensified its election campaign ahead of the September 27 vote with a rally held at Beau Vallon over the weekend, drawing a large crowd of supporters of the party which has led the country for the past five years and held a majority in the National Assembly since 2015. The gathering was held in the area where the regatta is normally staged.
Speaking to supporters, President Wavel Ramkalawan once again explained why his party was the best choice for Seychelles, and why LDS is asking for another mandate, not because he wants to remain in government and in the assembly, but because he wants to take Seychelles to another level. ‘And I have no doubt that on September 27, the Seychellois people will take Seychelles to that other level,’ he said. According to Mr Ramkalawan, his government has ‘filled the coffers’, built infrastructure and given Seychelles a strong foundation, and he should remain to continue the work of human and infrastructure development.
He also insisted that his party is interested in the population and that during the past five years, in line with their manifesto ‘Sesel pour tou son zanfan’, LDS has looked after all Seychellois, and he has personally responded to many letters, spoken to many people, and assisted Seychellois in education, health and housing, among other areas. ‘There has not been a single moment that when a Seychellois wrote me a letter, I did not try to find out who that person was, to see what decision I should take. On the contrary, the only time I tried to find out who the person was, was to see how I could help them even more,’ Mr Ramkalawan said, adding that victimisation is not a word in his dictionary because he believes that all Seychellois deserve the same opportunities. Also addressing the crowd were Vice-President Ahmed Afif and National Assembly candidates for the northern region, including John Hoareau for Beau Vallon, Colin Tirant for Glacis, Denise Clarisse for Bel Ombre and Georges Romain for Anse Etoile, who presented themselves and explained why the administration under the direction of Wavel Ramkalawan should continue. The rally featured performances by several artists including Jose Charles, Emmanuel Marie and Joseph Louise.
