Official Statement by Alain St Ange – Seychelles Politics Getting Tense Ahead of Elections

In light of recent revelations by other politicians, Alain St.Ange has made the official statement below:

I [Alain St.Ange] shall NOT be siding with or otherwise supporting either red or green camps in the upcoming elections. Any attempts by certain politicians to insinuate as such are purely self-serving and perhaps wishful thinking.

If I, or other members of One Seychelles, were to align with any Party that has been in the arena for decades, we would have to grapple with the issue of them having promised key leadership positions to their friends and loyalists; it would dilute the very purpose of what we are striving to achieve. If we wanted to support any of the other candidates, we would have done so already. We are offering what they are not; our policies are different, our values and priorities are not aligned. One Seychelles is neither left nor right, we are steering straight through the middle. Our only direction is forwards, not sideways.

Anyone who puts their hat into the ring believes they will make it into the second-round. I unequivocally believe I will make it into the second-round. Seychellois finally have a third choice in what has been an unhealthy duopoly for decades. Too many people have expressed their satisfaction that they would now have another choice – a viable choice unhampered by negative baggage – on the ballot paper for me to believe that I could not make it.

The complacency and arrogance of rival camps are their weakness; they do not feel the need to try hard because a sense of entitlement has plagued their politicians and staunch followers for decades – they believe the support of the public is somehow owed to them because they have been in the race since Jesus was a little boy. They have lost sight of the fact that respect is earned, not demanded.

Seychellois are not only comparing the policies being pushed by each presidential candidate (checking to see whether the values and ideologies of that individual align with that of the voter), but they are also assessing the temperament of the person vying to lead the Nation for the next five years (Is he good under pressure, reasonable and respectful of people from all walks of life?) and the capabilities of that individual in effecting their proposed policies (does this person have a proven and positive track record of bringing prosperity and innovation to Seychelles? Or does he say the right things and later do the opposite to what was promised?).

People are also assessing the glaring problems being faced by the Country at the moment (flailing economy, weak tourism industry, rampant poverty and heroin addiction) and taking note of the politicians who are not only targeting those issues in their manifestos, but also have substantiated their proposed policies with well-reasoned plans to redress the situation. They are also deciding for themselves which of the main political candidates is ably qualified and experienced to save the main pillar of our economy (tourism), and which ones are just accustomed to pointing out problems without the requisite knowledge base and skill set to propose viable solutions to those problems. While any politician can shed light on a problem, only a technician and a true leader can fix the problem.

I have worked with both the SPPF and the SNP, seen first-hand where they have failed, the flaws in their policies, the confusion in their priorities, and have seen for myself that both Parties’ leadership candidates are, in my humble opinion, unsuitable prospects for Leadership of our proud Nation, in terms of temperament, policy, skill set, basic knowledge-base, qualifications, and what is truly motivating them yet again to put their name forwards for the Presidential post.

Some politicians are putting their hats in the ring to make a statement, they have no stake in the game. Some took great pains to secure themselves; if they lose, they can retire quite happily on their early pensions. The only people who stand to lose anything are those who invested everything in these politicians, in the political party they blindly followed for years.

One Seychelles came to change the culture of local politics, and to bring REAL CHANGE for Seychellois by taking the reins and saving our crumbling tourism industry, and our weak agriculture and fisheries sectors, by doing what no other political party can and that no other party has proposed: we shall be giving effect to a technocrat-led government, comprising qualified Seychellois at the helm of their respective departments and ministries who have been selected on the basis of MERIT, and not nepotism or favor-giving.

Please do not succumb to self serving rumors and poor attempts to discredit a worthy and viable political party.

An Avan, Seychelles.

For more information:
Alain St.Ange on 2515615