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Elections in Seychelles
 
Political Profile
Political System: Democracy
President: James Alix Michel (PL) [since 14 April 2004; succeeded the elected president, France-Albert René, who voluntarily resigned after 27 years in power; elected 2006, re-elected 2011] The President is elected by direct popular vote for a 5-year term. Electoral System: Two Round (Run-off).
National Assembly [unicameral] (31 Seats) Members are elected by direct popular vote through parallel systems - 25 single-member constituencies using the first-past-the-post system and 6 by proportional representation; members serve 5-year terms.
Electoral Authority: Electoral Commission
Political Situation since Independence
1976-1977 Democracy
1977-1979 [De-Facto] One Party State (SPUP/SPPF)
1979-1991 One Party State (SPPF)
1991-1993 Multiparty Transition
1993-        Democracy
2012 Freedom House Rating: Political Rights - 3, Civil Liberties - 3, Status: Partly Free
Next Scheduled Presidential Election: 2016
Next Scheduled National Assembly Election: 2016
Political Parties: DP - Democratic (right-wing, conservative), MSD - Seychelles Movement for Democracy, NAP - National Alliance Party, NDP - New Democratic Party, PDM - Popular Democratic Movement, PL - People's Party [Parti Lepep], PS - Seychelles Party, SCDP - Seychelles Christian Democratic Party, SNM - Seychelles National Movement, SDA - Social Democratic Alliance, SDP - Seychelles Democratic Party, SLP - Seychelles Liberal Party, SNP - Seychelles National Party (centrist), SPPF - Seychelles People's Progressive Front (far-left), SPUP - Seychelles People's United Party, UO - United Opposition
Coalitions: Seychelles National Party-Democratic Party (SNP-DP) [Contested the 2007 National Assembly Election]; United Opposition (UO) [Contested the 1993 Presidential and National Assembly Elections] Member parties include the Seychelles Party (PS), Seychelles National Movement (SNM), and the National Alliance Party (NAP).
(Note: Member parties of the United Opposition (UO) coalition merged in 1994 and contested the 1998 Presidential and National Assembly Elections as a political party).
 
Election Results
 
 
Presidential
--Multiparty: 1993, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2011
--Single Party: 1979, 1984, 1989
Legislative
--Multiparty: 1970, 1974, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2007, 2011
--Single Party: 1979, 1983, 1987
Constitutional Commission: 1992
Constitutional Referendums: 1992, 1993
 
 
November 1970 Legislative Assembly Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Party % of Votes Number of Seats (15)

Seychelles Democratic Party (SDP)

 53.8% 10

Seychelles People's United Party (SPUP)

 44.2% 5
 
25 April 1974 Legislative Assembly Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Invalid/Blank Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

41,822

Party Number of Votes % of Votes Number of Seats (15)
Seychelles Democratic Party (SDP) 21,902 52.37% 13
Seychelles People's United Party (SPUP) 19,920 47.63% 2
 
Single Party Elections
Sole Legal Party: Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF)
23-26 June 1979 Presidential Election* (France-Albert René elected unopposed)

Registered Voters

27,929

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

26,931 (96.4%)

"Yes/For" Votes

26,390 (97.99%)

"No/Against" Votes

     541   (2.01%)

*According to official results, "Yes/For" and "No/Against" votes were calculated as a percentage of total votes cast. Figures distinguishing the number of valid and invalid/blank votes cast were not included in the final results.
23-26 June 1979 People's Assembly Election (25 Seats; 23 directly elected, 2 appointed by the President to represent the Inner Islands and Outer Islands, respectively)
7 August 1983 People's Assembly Election (25 Seats; 23 directly elected, 2 appointed by the President to represent the Inner Islands and Outer Islands, respectively)

Registered Voters

34,908

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

20,705 (59.3%)

17 June 1984 Presidential Election* (France-Albert René re-elected unopposed)

Registered Voters

37,012

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

35,499 (95.9%)

"Yes/For" Votes

32,883 (92.63%)

"No/Against" Votes

  2,582   (7.27%)

*According to the official results, "Yes/For" and "No/Against" votes were calculated as a percentage of total votes cast. Figures distinguishing the number of valid and invalid/blank votes cast were not included in the final results.
5 December 1987 People's Assembly Election (25 Seats; 23 directly elected, 2 appointed by the President to represent the Inner Islands and Outer Islands, respectively)  

Registered Voters

43,051

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

28,410 (66.0%)

9-11 June 1989 Presidential Election* (France-Albert René re-elected unopposed)

Registered Voters

42,861

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

39,237 (91.5%)

"Yes/For" Votes

37,703 (96.09%)

"No/Against" Votes

  1,486   (3.79%)

*According to the official results, "Yes/For" and "No/Against" votes were calculated as a percentage of total votes cast. Figures distinguishing the number of valid and invalid/blank votes cast were not included in the final results.
 
23-26 July 1992 Constitutional Commission Election

Registered Voters

49,975

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

42,648 (85.3%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     623

Total Valid Votes

42,025

Party Number of Votes % of Votes Number of Seats (22)
Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF) 24,538 58.39% 14
Democratic Party (DP) 14,150 33.67% 8
Seychelles Party (PS) 1,829 4.35% -
National Alliance Party (NAP) 672 1.60% -
Seychelles Movement for Democracy (MSD) 322 0.77% -
Seychelles National Party (SNP) 259 0.62% -
Seychelles Liberal Party (SLP) 201 0.48% -
Seychelles Christian Democratic Party (SCDP) 54 0.13% -
 
12-15 November 1992 Constitutional Referendum*/**
Main Points: Presidential Republic, Multiparty System, Official status for leaders of the opposition

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (approx. 60%)

Results % of Votes
"Yes" Votes 53.7%
"No" Votes 44.6%
*The percentage of "yes" and "no" does not add up to 100%, most likely (but unconfirmed) due to inclusion of the percentage of invalid/blank votes cast in the final results.
**For the constitutional referendum to be considered valid, at least 60% of the electorate had to endorse it. This requirement was not met, thus invalidating the outcome.
 
15-18 June 1993 Constitutional Referendum*
Main Points: Presidential Republic, Multiparty System, Official status for leaders of the opposition

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Results % of Votes
"Yes" Votes 73.9%
"No" Votes 24.1%
*The percentage of "yes" and "no" does not add up to 100%, most likely (but unconfirmed) due to inclusion of the percentage of invalid/blank votes cast in the final results.
 
20-23 July 1993 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

50,370

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

43,584 (86.5%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     511

Total Valid Votes

43,073

Candidate (Party) [Coalition] Number of Votes % of Votes
France-Albert René (SPPF) 25,627 59.50%
James Richard Mancham (DP) 15,815 36.72%
Philippe Boullé (NAP) [UO] 1,631 3.78%
 
20-23 July 1993 People's Assembly Election*

Registered Voters

50,370

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

43,579 (86.5%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     713

Total Valid Votes

42,866

Party/[Coalition] Number of Votes % of Votes Number of Seats 22 (33)**
Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF) 24,642 57.48% 21 (27)
Democratic Party (DP) 14,062 32.80% 1 (5)
United Opposition [UO] 4,163 9.71% - (1)
*Official results state that 42,866 valid votes were cast, but the distribution of votes received by political parties totals 42,867 (a difference of one vote). Percentage figures in the table are based on the latter number of valid votes cast.
**22 members were directly elected; an additional 11 seats were allocated on the basis of proportional representation. The figures in parentheses reflect the final distribution of seats (direct + proportional).
 
20-22 March 1998 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

54,847

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

47,550 (86.7%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     977

Total Valid Votes

46,573

Candidate (Party) Number of Votes % of Votes
France-Albert René (SPPF) 31,048 66.67%
Wavel Ramkalawan (UO) 9,098 19.53%
James Richard Mancham (DP) 6,427 13.80%
 
20-22 March 1998 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

54,847

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

47,568 (86.7%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

  1,205

Total Valid Votes

46,363
Party Number of Votes % of Votes Number of Seats 25 (34)*
Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF) 28,610 61.71% 24 (30)
United Opposition (UO) 12,084 26.06% 1 (3)
Democratic Party (DP) 5,609 12.10% - (1)
Independent 60 0.13% - (-)
*25 members were directly elected; an additional 9 seats were allocated on the basis of proportional representation. The figures in parentheses reflect the final distribution of seats (direct + proportional).
 
31 August-2 September 2001 Presidential Election [Results by District]

Registered Voters

59,994

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

51,145 (85.3%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     907

Total Valid Votes

50,238

Candidate (Party) Number of Votes % of Votes
France-Albert René (SPPF) 27,223 54.19%
Wavel Ramkalawan (SNP) 22,581 44.95%
Philippe Boullé 434 0.86%
 
4-6 December 2002 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

62,350

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

52,699 (84.5%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     969

Total Valid Votes

51,730

Party Number of Votes % of Votes Number of Seats 25 (34)*
Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF) 28,075 54.27% 18 (23)
Seychelles National Party (SNP) 22,030 42.59% 7 (11)
Democratic Party (DP) 1,605 3.10% -
Social Democratic Alliance (SDA) 16 0.03% -
Independents 4 0.00% -
*25 members were directly elected; an additional 9 seats were allocated on the basis of proportional representation. The figures in parentheses reflect the final distribution of seats (direct + proportional).
 
28-30 July 2006 Presidential Election [Results by District]

Registered Voters

64,026

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

56,787 (88.7%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     728

Total Valid Votes

56,059

Candidate (Party) Number of Votes % of Votes
James Michel (SPPF) 30,119 53.73%
Wavel Ramkalawan (SNP)* 25,626 45.71%
Philippe Boullé 314 0.56%
*Wavel Ramkalawan was also supported by the Democratic Party (DP).
 
10-12 May 2007 National Assembly Election*

Registered Voters

64,993

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

55,827 (85.9%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

  1,393

Total Valid Votes

54,434

Party/[Coalition] Number of Votes % of Votes Number of Seats 25 (34)**
Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF) 30,571 56.16% 18 (23)
Seychelles National Party-Democratic Party [SNP-DP] 23,869 43.84% 7 (11)
*Official results published by the Electoral Commission state that 54,434 valid votes were cast, but the distribution of votes among candidates totals 54,440 (a difference of 6 votes). Percentage figures in the table are based on the latter number of valid votes cast.
**25 members were directly elected; an additional 9 seats were allocated on the basis of proportional representation. The figures in parentheses reflect the final distribution of seats (direct + proportional).
 
19-21 May 2011 Presidential Election [Results by District]

Registered Voters

69,480

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

59,242 (85.3%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

  1,609

Total Valid Votes

57,633

Candidate (Party) Number of Votes % of Votes
James Michel (PL) 31,966 55.46%
Wavel Ramkalawan (SNP) 23,878 41.43%
Philippe Boullé 956 1.66%
Ralph Volcère (NDP) 833 1.45%
Note: The ruling Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF) adopted the name People's Party (Party Lepep; PL) in June 2009.
 
29 September-1 October 2011 National Assembly Election* [Results by District]

Registered Voters

69,480

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

51,592 (74.3%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

16,447

Total Valid Votes

35,145

Party Number of Votes % of Votes Number of Seats 25 (31)**
People's Party (PL) 31,123 88.56% 25 (31)
Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) 3,828 10.89% - (-)
Independent 194 0.55% - (-)
*The election was boycotted by the main opposition Seychelles National Party (SNP) and the New Democratic Party (NDP).
**25 members were directly elected; an additional 6 seats were allocated on the basis of proportional representation. The figures in parentheses reflect the final distribution of seats (direct + proportional).