Voting is underway in Seychelles as citizens of the Indian Ocean archipelago take part in a pivotal election that could determine whether President Wavel Ramkalawan secures a second term or the long-dominant United Seychelles party stages a comeback after losing power five years ago.
The polls opened Thursday, September 25, 2o25, in the country’s outer islands, with ballots set to be cast on the three main islands beginning Saturday, September 27, 2o25. By Sunday, September 28, 2o25, results will reveal whether Ramkalawan’s Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS) coalition maintains its parliamentary majority in the 35-seat National Assembly or cedes ground to rivals. Roughly 73,000 registered voters will decide among eight presidential hopefuls and 125 parliamentary candidates.
Seychelles, with a population of about 120,000, is Africa’s wealthiest nation per capita. Its strategic position in the western Indian Ocean has made it a focal point of investment and security interests for global powers, including India, China, and Gulf states. Ramkalawan, a former Anglican priest, has built his campaign on expanding social protections, strengthening infrastructure, and keeping Seychelles neutral in global geopolitics to encourage investment. “We’ve embarked on an ambitious programme of taking care of our people,” he told Reuters, citing achievements such as an increased minimum wage, free school meals, and new infrastructure projects. His long-term plans include constructing a new hospital, airport, and modern port facilities. Emphasizing neutrality, he added, “We say keep your geopolitics to yourselves. A French warship, an American, British, Chinese, or Indian vessel, all are welcome. If India and China have problems, that is not ours.”
Ramkalawan also points to the country’s strong economic rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic. Tourism-driven revenues and governance reforms have boosted performance, inflation is under 2%, and public debt is projected to fall below 50% of GDP before 2030, according to the International Monetary Fund. In 2023, Seychelles was removed from the EU’s tax blacklist, further improving its global standing.
Challenging Ramkalawan is Patrick Herminie of the United Seychelles party, which ruled the country for more than four decades before losing power in 2020. A physician and former National Assembly speaker, Herminie is positioning himself as the voice of discontent over rising living costs, declining education standards, corruption, and a worsening drug abuse crisis. Despite being arrested in 2023 on charges of plotting a coup using witchcraft—allegations he denied and which were later dropped—Herminie has continued his campaign undeterred.
Herminie accuses the government of presiding over corruption, pointing to the controversial leasing of islands to companies from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. “The party had been in power too long, empires were built inside, and divisions weakened us,” he said, reflecting on past missteps. “We remain a progressive, left-of-centre party, convinced that people should be at the centre of development.”
The race also features other candidates, including gospel singer Robert Moumou, entrepreneur Marco Francis, and former tourism minister Alain St Ange, underscoring the broad spectrum of political voices now shaping the country’s democratic space.
For many Seychellois, the vote is not just about personalities but about the future trajectory of a small yet strategically important nation grappling with the challenges of balancing economic growth, social stability, and global competition for influence. With international powers closely watching and domestic issues intensifying, the outcome of this election will likely resonate far beyond the island nation’s shores.
