SEYCHELLES PRESIDENTIAL RACE BEGINS

VICTORIA: The main islands of the Seychelles voted yesterday in a presidential election, a race that sees incumbent James Michel facing a serious challenge for the first time after two terms in office.

While voting on more remote islands began on Thursday, the majority of polling took place on the third and final day yesterday on the three main islands of Mahe, Praslin and La Digue, home to most of the archipelago’s estimated 91,000 citizens.

The tourism-dependent Indian Ocean nation, a former British colony, is made up of 115 islands, some as many as 1,000km from the capital Victoria on the main island Mahe.

“There are islands where it takes just 45 minutes ... there are others where it lasts two hours, but what is important is that everyone can vote,” said Charles Morin, the chief electoral officer, describing the marathon efforts to ensure all get a chance to vote across the vast expanse of the archipelago.

The Electoral Commission, which has said about 4,000 voters were eligible to cast ballots on the first two days of voting, said they were “generally satisfied” with the voting process, Seychelles News Agency said.

Mr Michel, of the Parti Lepep — “The People” in the local Seychellois Creole language — hopes to win a third and final term, as permitted by the constitution, but faces five other candidates.

Mr Michel, who has been in power for almost a decade, is running against a fragmented opposition, but observers say a run-off is possible for the first time since multi-party politics were reintroduced in 1993. A second round would take place in one to two weeks.

Analysts say Mr Michel faces only two real challengers: Wavel Ramkalawan of the Seychelles National Party, and Patrick Pillay of the Lalyans Seselwa (Seychellois Alliance), a former minister who defected from Mr Michel’s party.