Seychelles Heads to run-off Presidential Vote

Seychelles is preparing to conduct a rerun of its presidential elections between the two primary candidates, as no decisive winner was announced.

Opposition leader Patrick Herminie received 48.8% of the votes compared to incumbent President Wavel Ramkalawan’s 46.4%, as announced by the electoral commission.

Under the electoral regulations, a candidate must secure over 50% of the votes to be declared the victor, prompting a run-off election that is set to take place next week.

Seychelles Heads to run-off Presidential Vote. Credit: Arab News.

Seychelles, Africa’s smallest nation, is a 115-island archipelago located in the Indian Ocean, with a population exceeding 120,000. Last week’s election featured eight candidates for president.

Ramkalawan is pursuing a second term, with his Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS) party focused on economic recovery, social advancement, and environmental sustainability.

His major opponent, Herminie, represents the United Seychelles party, which held sway over the nation’s political arena from 1977 until 2020, when it lost its majority to Ramkalawan’s party.

The United Seychelles party has regained control of the National Assembly, winning 19 out of 35 seats in the parliamentary elections that coincided with the presidential election.

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Tope Oke

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