Seychelles: Restoration of democracy

Extracted from: "Seychelles" IN Compendium of Elections in Southern Africa (2002), edited by Tom Lodge, Denis Kadima and David Pottie, EISA, 279-280.

Despite René's iron grip on virtually all political and economic activities, and his strong dislike of multiparty government, he astonished colleagues and opposition alike in December 1991 by agreeing to introduce a multiparty democracy. As from January 1992, political groups numbering at least 100 members would be registered and multiparty elections held in July 1992 for a constituent assembly, whose proposals for constitutional reform would be submitted to a national referendum with a view to holding multiparty elections in December 1992. René's surprising turnaround was in response to mounting economic as well as domestic problems. During 1991, he had come under increasing pressure from France and the United Kingdom, his principal aid-donors, to return the country to a democratic political system. In 1991 they cut aid to a trickle. That year, for the first time since 1983, Seychelles registered a negative economic growth rate, largely due to the fall in tourist numbers during the Gulf crisis.

During 1990 and early 1991, opposition to the René regime gathered momentum. Open criticism was voiced by the newly formed Parti Seselwa (PS), led by a Protestant clergyman, Wavel Ramkalawan. In November René invited all political dissidents to return from exile. Until the early 1990s, exiled opposition to René had remained split among a number of small groups based principally in London. In July 1991 five of these parties, including the Rassemblement du Peuple Seychellois pour la Démocratie (subsequently renamed the Seychelles Christian Democrat Party, SCDP), founded by Dr Maxime Ferrari, established a coalition. This became the United Democratic Movement (UDM), under Ferrari's leadership. Ex-president Mancham rallied his supporters in a 'Crusade for Democracy'. In August 1991 Ferrari returned from exile to organise support for the UDM, while Mancham returned in April 1992 to lead the New Democratic Party (NDP).

Elections for a commission to draft a new constitution took place in July 1992. Thanks to its rural constituency's liking for René's cradle-to-grave welfare system, the SPPF received 58.4% of the votes, giving it 15 representatives. The NDP (now renamed Democratic Party, DP) secured 33.7% and eight representatives. The PS, with 4.4% of the votes, got only one representative, while the five other parties, with a total of 3.6%, gained no representation. A turnout of 84% was recorded. The opposition was disadvantaged in that exiles, estimated at up to 15 000, were not allowed to vote, but all the international observer groups declared that the poll had been fair and free.

When the draft constitution, which required the approval of at least 60% of the voters, was endorsed by only 53.7% in the November 1992 referendum, a second commission was created. This submitted its thoroughly revised proposals to another referendum on 18 June 1993. The proposals were approved by 73.9%, and followed by presidential and legislative elections in July 1993.