Appeal for cleaner energy for Praslin and La Digue

SNP Leader Wavel Ramkalawan made a passionate plea for members of the National Assembly to vote in favour of a motion calling for redress for Praslinois living with the noise and toxic fumes of the power station on the island. He also sketched out his vision for a cleaner and more environmentally sustainable energy source for both Praslin and La Digue. Members of Parti Lepep, grudgingly and reluctantly, voted in favour.

The motion brought by the SNP leader called more specifically for a survey to be carried out to establish if residents in the immediate area of the power station had developed asthma or any other adverse health conditions as a result of inhaling toxic fumes from the diesel generators. Mr. Ramkalawan further requested that if any of the facts should be confirmed, immediate remedial action should be taken to prevent further consequences.

“It is interesting that this morning, Minister Morgan who is responsible for energy and environment, came before us to tell us that he had found money to compensate the residents of La Misere for the suffering and pain of the past six months. What about those people who have been suffering for years”, he asked, “can they expect a solution soon?”

Mr Ramkalawan cited scientific information that clearly showed the dangers of inhaling soot and toxic fumes on a regular basis. He said that his numerous visits to the area has shown cases of severe asthma and other respiratory problems. “Every house now has a nebulizer, not just for children, but also for those who have developed asthma during their adult years,” he added.

The SNP leader laid out his vision for Praslin and La Digue to be made free of carbon emissions generated by power stations. Large hotels and new developments should be required to invest in the production of clean energy. Private homes should be encouraged to do so as well through fiscal measures, he said. Mr. Ramkalawan supported the plan for an electricity cable from Mahé to the two islands, with a wind and solar facility for stepping up the current on the Mamelles rocks, located midway.

Parti Lepep members reacted angrily to the motion, accusing the SNP of trying to make political mileage. They however said they would vote in favour not for any other reason but for solidarity with their Baie Ste Anne representative, who they argued had tried hard to get the issue resolved over the years.

Our Country... Our Future: A proper investment climate

Seychelles is both a land of potential and missed opportunities. Potential, because we are blessed with such a huge ocean, a land of great beauty strategically located in the SW Indian Ocean away from the natural disaster zones, blessed with a beautiful people who can master two of the world's most important languages. This would have been the recipe for success and development for any country. Unfortunately, this has not been the case and we are instead in an IMF-led Reform Programme.

We are a land of missed opportunities. In June we celebrated 34 years of Independence. It would be interesting to find out have many businesses were established before 1976 and to also go through their history. You would find a couple, but would also uncover stories of uncertainty, difficulties and hardship. The reason is very simple: The present government has never believed in allowing businesses to get on with what they know and do best. Instead it has been episodes of control, deliberate obstacles and a statement by the Governor of the Central Bank in New York this week sums it up. Mr. Laporte stated: 'Today Seychelles offers not only investment opportunities, but security for investors.' Isn't obvious that for these 34 years we have been groping in the dark? Mr. Mancham's letter in Thursday's Nation also illustrates the same point.

Investment in Seychelles has never been secure. Seychelles has had to face so many international arbitration cases, simply because investors were trying to get back their money. Presently there are at least two cases before US Courts where Seychelles is being sued because of the intervention of the FIU. All these cases show that there is a problem somewhere. If Laporte's intervention was meant to try and clear the name of Seychelles, we just hope it works.

The nationalisation process in the 70's meant that investors were not only robbed of their money, but caused them literally to run away and encouraged others to keep away. At one time all hotels in our country were state-owned, which led to near collapse of the industry.

The investment policies of the ruling party have never been clear. The red tape has been made purposely complicated so that corruption, fear and control could dominate. When in 1995, Mr. René came up with his Economic Development Act, granting immunity from prosecution to those investing more that 10 million dollars, Seychelles was placed on the black list of the investment world. The attempt to clear the tarnished image of Seychelles is belated and long overdue.

Our country has wasted too much time. The government has failed our people by taking too long to come up with the right investment policies. Unfortunately we are still stuck on this dirt track. Dishonest investors are still coming to our country and through the right connections, they are being allowed to use Seychelles as their HQ. Much is still being granted on the basis of personal privileges rather than on the basis of a clear investment code, which the SNP has championed for a long time.

Praslin needs traffic police

Traffic police officers will be deployed on Praslin when they are available. They could help reduce problems such as speeding, vehicles and drivers without licenses, and improper parking. 

Minister Morgan explained that there had been a large increase of registered vehicles on Praslin, which now numbered 1450.  He agreed there was a definite need for surveillance. Traffic police officers were not available because of the cost involved. The job was being done by the regular police but the quality of service should be improved, he said.

St Louis MNA Sandy Arrissol proposed that since Praslin residents pay their road tax as drivers elsewhere, the Minister should ensure maintenance of the roads.

SNP leader Wavel Ramkalawan, asked what other measures were being contemplated to control speed other than police officers. Vehicle users must first be encouraged to take their responsibilities, the minister said. If they did not, other measures such as speed-bumps would be introduced.

Better roads for Praslin, SNP asks

SNP leader Wavel Ramkalawan is proposing that the existing Newcome to Anse Lazio track be converted into a motorable access. This, he argued, would allow for much cost savings for farmers and hoteliers who now have to travel all around Praslin for their business. The Minister agreed that this was a good idea but stated that there was no money for the project at this point.

However, the Minister accepted that the stretch needed repair and maintenance. This project will cost R8 million and the money is not available, Morgan explained. For the time being, the Land Transport Agency would only maintain it so that the situation would not get worse.

Other roads on Praslin are in deplorable state and lacking proper maintenance, members of the Assembly have shown in questions to the minister responsible for land transport, Joel Morgan. He responded that the budget had been heavily constrained because of the economic reform programme. The Leader of the Opposition took the opportunity to sketch out, through his various questions, the SNP vision for a modern road network for the island of Praslin.

Our Country... Our Future: Politics of Lies and Deception

Our little country has known all types of turbulence in its political history. The French and the British capitulated our islands to each other on a number of occasions. From that time we read of lies and deception. For example, not knowing who was in charge of Mahé, French warships floated the British flag just in case the British were. This resulted in the burning of the Jardin du Roi by the French themselves. Quéau de Quincy, whom the British had placed as the administrator is known to have flown the French flag once the British turned their backs.

The modern history of our islands begins with Constitutional talks for Independence. There again, lies and deception abound. Mr. René was not sincere, but he managed to fool Mr. Mancham in accepting what he, Mr. René, wanted. Mancham accepted in the name of peace and stability, only to find himself 11 months after being kissed goodbye in the very same way that Judas did to Jesus.

Our people were fed the biggest lie on the 5th June 1977 when Mr. René declared that a group of people had overthrown Mancham and had asked him to form a new government. Everyone knew that he had organised the coup because he wanted to be the president. From that time, the same party has continued to fool the people of Seychelles with lies and deception.

Government should be a beacon of light to a nation. It is there to show the way forward and lead a nation in truth. But unfortunately, too often, political expediency takes over the agenda and the so-called leaders blatantly lie to the people. The lesson to be learnt there is that the people are not fools. People see through those lies. Unfortunately it is not always that they then go on to sanction the government through their vote. Seychellois have yet to understand the full power of their vote.

This week in the National Assembly, Minister Meriton misled the House into believing that a small playground at Anse La Blague, Praslin, was being regularly maintained. Either he lied purposely to the National Assembly, or those responsible lied to him. Whatever the case, the finger points at ethics in government.

The reason he gave that answer however was very calculated. He had given orders for that playground to be tidied up last week in time for my question in the Assembly. This is called deception. It cannot be tolerated as an accepted standard. As the number 3 in our country, he needs to adopt a higher standard. If nothing happens, we will have another glimpse of the standards accepted by the present government.

When Minister Morgan comes on national TV and proclaims that all the GOPs for ASCON workers have been cancelled until a settlement has been reached and then the same government orders para-military police to stop any demonstration by the residents while those same workers continue with the contract how can we describe this? Of course it is a continuation of the politics of deception and lies.

A couple of years back, Minister Dugasse came to the National Assembly to justify a transaction by the Seychelles Marketing Board. They had imported beer, yet they had declared it initially as pipes for the Coetivy Prawn Project, then it became toilet paper! For the Minister, everything was in order. In any country with a good Customs Department, the whole consignment would have been seized with the importer severely dealt with. But not in Seychelles. The importer was probably praised for being full of imagination!

Our country needs to enter a new era of transparency and accountability. The SNP believes that we need a ‘Freedom of Information Act’, through which Government will have to give true information or face the consequences. We also need to go in the direction of having an ‘Accountability and Transparency Act’, which will give the people the possibility of knowing what is happening in their land.

This is the way forward. ‘The truth shall set us free.’

Our Country... Our Future: Doing away with extremism

One of the reasons democracy remains the best form of government is because it protects rights, allows free expression, promotes justice and encourages a fair chance in life for everyone. Democracy made it possible for Barack Obama to become the first black American president.

The other side of democracy is dictatorship. This is the system that unfortunately believes that everything comes from the top. In a dictatorship, the evil of extremism thrives.

Our society is still stuck in a transition between the two. We have made progress, of course. Otherwise our lives would be darker. But there are still instances when dictatorship shows through.

Knowing that democracy is the accepted norm in the Constitution, much is said in support of that system. However, in practice, we find that the evil strains of dictatorship still haunt us. And of course the most familiar excuse is that the Constitution allows for deviations ‘that are necessary in a democratic society’!

It is important to note that two components of any dictatorship is a controlled media and a heavy-handed military police. One controls information and the thinking of the people and the other physically threaten, restrain and harm those wanting to exercise their rights. The challenge we still face is to ensure that both institutions become free of all forms of fanaticism and are converted into tools of development and emancipation. This is the transformation our beautiful country needs to go through. I am convinced that the will and the way are there, and we only have to take them, with much courage.

Some sad events this week indicate that the struggle has to continue. Two acts of extremism show that the state is still very much an accomplice to crime and control. The burning of Ms Lydia Jumeau’s car was a callous organised act perpetrated by some individual(s) under clear orders. Everyone knows that Ms Jumeau is a leader in the fight for fair compensation by the residents of La Misère. She has been on the forefront since Day 1. She sits on the residents committee, and she is an embarassment to government. They wanted her to shut up! In the old days she would simply have disappeared.

The other act carried out by the NDEA, under orders from higher up, was the arrest and detention of Mr. Michael ‘Ace’ Sabadin. Mr. Sabadin, a hard-working father of two children was taken into police custody and accused of importing drugs. His house and workplace were searched. But it looks as if they were more interested in his mobile phone. After they checked his mobile phone and broke it, he was released without any charges or other conditions. He had been detained for a day.

The only reason why Mr. Sabadin was detained was because he is very active on Facebook and openly supports the opposition.

Earlier I mentioned the media and the para-military police. We all know that these two institutions are under the tight control of State House. The order to station the SSU at La Misère was given by State House. The order for the SBC not to broadcast our press conference, despite the ruling of the Court of Appeal, was from State House.

The need to break the chains of oppression is more urgent today than yesterday. Today the situation has become more difficult because we have a dictatorship dressed up in democratic linen.

We have to make our country a true democracy. We need an effective and normal state. As true democrats, let us together use the ballot box to give our country the new direction she so badly needs.

SNP Leader meets Canadian delegation

The SNP Leader has met with members of the Canada CPA branches during a four-day exchange visit to Seychelles.

Mr Wavel Ramkalawan, who is the co vice-chairperson of the Seychelles CPA’s Executive Committee, together with the Leader of the Government Business in the National Assembly, Mrs Marie-Louise Potter.

Also present at the meeting, were the Opposition Whip, Nicholas Prea, the Seychelles CPA Treasure David Pierre and Parti Lepep Roche Caiman MNA Joevana Charles.

The two sides mainly discussed the issues of democracy, including the role of the parliament, the opposition parties and parliamentarians, and the role of independent media in a democratic society.

The Canadian delegation included Chairman Russ Hiebert, Secretary Stephanie Bond and member Carole Freeman.

Mr Ramkalwan hopes such exchanges will help the assembly to promote democracy and find ways to serve their constituents more effectively.

Our Country... Our Future: For A Better Future

During the past year, the slogan ‘Leve, debourye’ (Get up and work) has become the favourite of James Michel. This was the response to the SNP call of ‘Larg lanmen Seselwa.’ (Free the hands of the Seychellois). So, these days, any initiative that a person takes to do a business, work overtime or even do a second job because of the present hardships, is described as a ‘Leve, debourye’ initiative.

This has led me first of all to reflect on the obstacles that the same government has always put on local initiatives and how these have set our country back, even to the point where many serious businessmen have left our shores to invest overseas. At the same time, there have been a lot of foreign investors who have come here through good connections to venture into businesses that have literally robbed Seychellois of good opportunities.

The biggest obstacle that this government placed on this nation was to allow a currency black market to flourish during so many years. The irresponsible way of borrowing way beyond our means and burdening us with unsustainable debt caused this nation to come to a grinding halt. Everyone suffered.

Yet both Mr. René and Mr. Michel kept saying that everything was fine. They described it as a ‘small problem that would be resolved in 3 months’. When the whole extent of the ‘small problem’ was revealed, we discovered a bankrupt country with an unsustainable debt of over 800 million dollars!

Our people have been fooled and made to believe that calling in the IMF was a brave initiative of Mr. Michel, when in fact he had no choice since he was stuck between a rock and a hard place! We can also look at the way the same government, basically a bunch of control freaks; have interfered unnecessarily in the lives of our people. At one point, you needed a licence for everything. A retired teacher wanting to give extra tuition to students needed a licence, a person sewing clothes needed one…. It went on and on. All these controls simply scared Seychellois initiative, and in the process we developed a people bent on doing the minimum and waiting on government assistance. And today the same government describes the people as being lazy!

The recent announcement by the SLA inviting everyone who may have been running illegal guesthouses to come forward and their situation would be resolved is yet another example of government obstacles. I have a friend on Praslin who did whatever he could to run a tourist facility. He was denied a licence, brought to court, fined, threatened, had his furniture confiscated etc… Yet he persisted. If the system had not blocked his efforts all this time, he would be way ahead today.

We must not fool ourselves about the present. Even though there is a semblance of big openings, we must never forget that control; victimisation and favours are still very much on the agenda of Mr. Michel and his team.

As we ponder on our programme for government, the thought that drives me is how do we remove these unnecessary obstacles and allow our people to get on with their lives. This includes making it easier for the people of Seychelles to change their government peacefully if they are not performing. True democracy is where controls are necessary not to hurt the people, but to protect and let them get on with their dreams. Let every potential in this country be allowed to flourish. Let the sky be the limit for every Seychellois.