1998 Seychellois general election

Today, 1998 Seychellois general election is a topic that generates great interest and debate in society. Since its emergence, it has caused an impact in various areas of daily life, from politics to entertainment. The evolution of 1998 Seychellois general election has been the subject of study and analysis by experts in different fields, who seek to understand its implications and consequences. In this article, we will thoroughly explore the importance and relevance of 1998 Seychellois general election today, as well as its influence on popular culture and global decision-making.

1998 Seychellois general election

20–22 March 1998
Registered 54,847
Presidential election
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Turnout 86.70%
 
Nominee France-Albert René Wavel Ramkalawan James Mancham
Party FPPS United Opposition Democratic Party
Running mate James Michel Annette Georges Danielle Belle
Popular vote 31,048 9,098 6,427
Percentage 66.67% 19.53% 13.80%
President before election

France-Albert René
FPPS

Elected President

France-Albert René
FPPS

Politics of Seychelles
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General elections were held in the Seychelles between 20 and 22 March 1998. Incumbent President France-Albert René and his Seychelles People’s Progressive Front won both elections with over 60% of the vote,[1] defeating a divided opposition.

Campaign

On the 4 February 1998 it was announced that the presidential and parliamentary elections would be held at the same time in March.[2] President René and his ruling Seychelles People’s Progressive Front were expected to easily win the elections.[3] René enjoyed strong support for introducing a social welfare system and benefited from the inability of the opposition to unite against him.[2] He was challenged by the former President James Mancham of the Seychelles Democratic Party, who he had deposed in a coup in 1977, and also by Wavel Ramkalawan of the new United Opposition party.[4]

The election saw a joint team of international election monitors from the Commonwealth of Nations and Francophonie observe the election, the first time they had sent a combined team to observe an election.[5][6] The team was led by Sir John Compton, former Prime Minister of Saint Lucia.[6] The monitors said the election was mainly free and fair, and complemented it on being well organised.[7] However, there were some complaints about vote buying by government officials.[7]

Results

President

President René won the presidential election with two-thirds of the vote, while former President Mancham was beaten into third place by Wavel Ramkalawan.[8]

Candidate Running mate Party Votes %
France-Albert René James Michel Seychelles People’s Progressive Front 31,048 66.67
Wavel Ramkalawan Annette Georges United Opposition 9,098 19.53
James Mancham Danielle Belle Seychelles Democratic Party 6,427 13.80
Total 46,573 100.00
Valid votes 46,573 97.95
Invalid/blank votes 977 2.05
Total votes 47,550 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 54,847 86.70
Source: Nohlen et al.

Parliament

The parliamentary results saw the governing Seychelles People’s Progressive Front win 24 of the 25 directly elected seats and a further 6 of the 9 seats that were elected proportionally.[7] The opposition Democratic Party was reduced to only one seat, while the new United Opposition won three seats.[7]

Party Votes % Seats
FPTP PR Total +/–
Seychelles People’s Progressive Front 28,610 61.71 24 6 30 +3
United Opposition 12,084 26.06 0 3 3 +2
Seychelles Democratic Party 5,609 12.10 1 0 1 –4
Independents 60 0.13 0 0 0 New
Total 46,363 100.00 25 9 34 +1
Valid votes 46,363 97.47
Invalid/blank votes 1,205 2.53
Total votes 47,568 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 54,847 86.73
Source: Nohlen et al.

References

  1. ^ Dieter Nohlen, Michael Krennerich & Bernhard Thibaut (1999) Elections in Africa: A data handbook, pp785-786 ISBN 0-19-829645-2
  2. ^ a b «The Seychelles: parliamentary elections National Assembly, 1998». Inter-Parliamentary Union. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  3. ^ «International: Serpent in the garden». The Economist. 1998-03-14. p. 52.
  4. ^ «News in brief: Seychelles sticks to Rene». The Guardian. 1998-03-24. p. 11.
  5. ^ Cornwell, Rupert (1998-03-12). «Co-operation in Africa». The Independent. p. 13.
  6. ^ a b «Joint inspection team for Seychelles». BBC News Online. 1998-03-11. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  7. ^ a b c d «Rene wins Seychelles presidential elections». Manila Standard. 1998-03-24. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  8. ^ «Elections in the Seychelles». African Elections Database. Retrieved 2009-07-18.