Seychelles president seeks second term as voters cast ballots

VICTORIA, Seychelles — Voters in Seychelles cast ballots Saturday to choose a president and parliament, with President Wavel Ramkalawan seeking a second five-year term. Polls opened at 7 a.m. local time, and long lines formed at stations across the archipelago as turnout appeared strong.

Ramkalawan’s chief rival is Patrick Herminie of the United Seychelles Party, a veteran lawmaker who served as parliamentary speaker from 2007 to 2016. The president and the legislature are elected separately for five-year terms. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers face a runoff. Just over 77,000 people are registered to vote in Seychelles, a nation of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean.

The country’s economy has long depended on tourism and services, with the World Bank placing Seychelles among Africa’s wealthier nations by GDP per capita. The ruling Linyon Demokratik Seselwa party has campaigned on economic recovery, social development and environmental sustainability while navigating criticism over governance and the country’s land-use deals.

A week before the vote, activists filed a constitutional case challenging a long-term lease agreement for part of Assomption Island to a Qatari company for a luxury hotel development, including an airstrip reconstruction to boost access for international flights. Critics say the deal prioritizes foreign interests over Seychelles’ welfare and sovereignty over its land.

Seychelles’ 120,000 residents face persistent challenges beyond governance questions. The nation faces climate-related risks, including rising sea levels, which researchers warn could threaten low-lying areas and infrastructure. The archipelago has consistently been cited as vulnerable to climate change impacts, underscoring the ballot’s significance for long-term development strategies.

Another pressing issue for voters is a growing drug crisis. A 2017 United Nations report described Seychelles as a major drug transit route, and a 2023 Global Organized Crime Index highlighted one of the world’s highest heroin addiction rates. Independent estimates place current drug use in the tens of thousands, with some analyses suggesting addiction rates approach 10% of the population. Critics have argued that Ramkalawan has not meaningfully curbed the crisis, while Herminie has faced criticism for his tenure as chairman of Seychelles’ Agency for the Prevention of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation from 2017 to 2020.

As polling continues, observers say the vote will test Ramkalawan’s ability to deliver on promises of economic stability, social development and environmental stewardship, while voters weigh concerns over sovereignty, security and public health. Full results are expected later in the weekend or early next week, with a runoff possible if no candidate clears 50% of the vote.

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