The National Assembly of Seychelles was represented during a recent seminar held in the Malagasy Capital, Antananarivo aimed at achieving peaceful elections and creating a politically stable Indian Ocean region. The three-day conference, held from the 30th of August to the 1st of September 2023, was organised by the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) under its current ‘Governance, Peace and Security’ (GPS) project, financed by the European Union. Seychelles was represented by the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. Gervais Henrie on behalf of Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS), and Hon. Audrey Vidot on behalf of United Seychelles (US).
The IOC brought together the main electoral stakeholders that play a significant role in the continually peaceful existence of our regional islands. Among those who took part were Political Parties represented in the islands’ Parliaments, Electoral Commissions, Media Commissions, and journalists/members of the press. The seminar of more than 50 participants examined the role of the all the stakeholders during the election cycle, with the key focus on peace and stability. It should be noted that the region is preparing for general elections in four of the islands, starting with Madagascar in November 2023, followed by Comoros in January 2024, Mauritius in 2024, and Seychelles in 2025. The seminar also involved the revision of the legal framework of elections, a discussion on the implementation of actions to raise awareness of the democratic culture of the region, especially with a strong youth and press involvement. The stakeholders called for the need for further dialogue between the electoral networks, elected officials, and the media to strengthen mutual knowledge and regional progress.
By coming together in a cooperative spirit, the participants shared their experiences and compared the best international practices to their respective established standards. Hon. Gervais Henrie noted that “such people-to-people contact within the region is an immense opportunity in fostering personal relationships that can help broker peaceful negotiations, like the Desroches Accord which was signed in Seychelles, in July 2012.”
The conference provided an opportunity for the participating countries to compare their most recent electoral challenges, with presentations and debated emphasizing on the need for transparency and independent oversight throughout the process. Hon. Vidot remarked that "only a transparent and independent electoral commission or body can effectively and efficiently assure political parties, civil society organizations, the media and the public a fair, peaceful and secured election process".
Seychelles’ peaceful transition after the 2020 general election was cited at the conference as a marked example, not only for the region but for Africa and the rest of the world.
