(3 Minutes Read)
Ramkalawan seeks a second term as the leader of Africa’s smallest country and campaigned on economic recovery, social development and environmental sustainability
Seychelles’ will hold rerun of presidential election as none of the candidates could garner more than 50% of the votes polled. The first run’s favourite was the opposition leader Patrick Herminie, who received 48.8% of the vote, while the incumbent, Wavel Ramkalawan, garnered 46.4%, according to official results. A candidate needs to win more than 50% of the vote to be declared the winner. The date for the rerun election is yet to be announced.
Herminie represents the United Seychelles party, which dominated politics for decades in the country before losing power five years go. It was the governing party from 1977 to 2020.
Trying to prevent United Seychelles from returning to power, Ramkalawan seeks a second term as the leader of Africa’s smallest country. His governing Linyon Demokratik Seselwa party campaigned on economic recovery, social development and environmental sustainability.
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Seychelles, a 115-island nation in the Indian Ocean with a population of around 120,000, is known for its high-end tourism industry and natural beauty. These attributes have elevated the country to one of the wealthiest in Africa by GDP per capita, according to World Bank data. However, its vast maritime territory of around 390,000 square kilometers also makes it extremely susceptible to the impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels, a concern highlighted by both the U.N. Sustainable Development Group and the World Bank.
Beyond environmental challenges, drug addiction—particularly to heroin—has become a major issue for voters. A 2017 U.N. report identified Seychelles as a key transit hub in the international drug trade. More recently, the 2023 Global Organised Crime Index ranked the country among those with the highest rates of heroin addiction worldwide.
