The Republic of Seychelles has had five presidents since its independence in 1976. Here is a complete list of the presidents from 1976 to the present:
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No. | Name | Term Start | Term End | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sir James Mancham | 29 June 1976 | 5 June 1979 | Seychelles Democratic Party (SDP) |
2 | France-Albert René | 5 June 1977 | 14 July 2004 | Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF) |
3 | James Michel | 14 July 2004 | 16 October 2016 | SPPF (until 2009, then renamed to People's Party (PP)) |
4 | Danny Faure | 16 October 2016 | 26 October 2020 | People's Party (until 2018, then United Seychelles Party) |
5 | Wavel Ramkalawan | 26 October 2020 | Present | Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS) |
Who Was Seychelles’ First President?
Seychelles’ first president was Sir James Mancham. He was born on August 11, 1939, in Victoria, the capital of Seychelles.
Mancham was both a lawyer and a politician, and he played a part in helping Seychelles gain independence from British colonial rule.
On June 29, 1976, Seychelles became an independent country, and Mancham became its first president. He led the Seychelles Democratic Party (SDP), which won the election that led to independence.
As president, Mancham worked hard to promote tourism and economic development. These were important for the small island nation’s economy. However, Mancham’s time as president was very short.
He was president for less than a year. On June 5, 1977, he was overthrown in a coup d’état. This coup was led by his Prime Minister, France-Albert René.
At the time of the coup, Mancham was attending a conference in London. Because of this, he couldn’t return to Seychelles right away. After being overthrown, Mancham lived in exile in London for 15 years.
During this time, he got involved in different business ventures and also worked on international peace efforts. In 1992, the political situation in Seychelles changed, and Mancham was able to return to his home country.
Even after returning, Mancham stayed active in politics. He ran for president again in 1993 and 1998, but he did not win.
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Who Is The Current President Of Seychelles?
The current President of Seychelles is Wavel Ramkalawan. He has been in office since October 26, 2020. Ramkalawan is a politician from Seychelles and also an Anglican priest.
He was an opposition Member of Parliament (MP) from 1993 to 2011 and again from 2016 to 2020 before he became the President. During these times, he also served as the Leader of the Opposition.
In the 2020 presidential election, Ramkalawan ran against the sitting president, Danny Faure. He won the election by getting 54.9% of the votes.
This was a historic moment because it was the first peaceful transfer of power to an opposition candidate since Seychelles became independent in 1976.
Ramkalawan was born on Mahé, the main island of Seychelles, in 1959. He comes from a humble family, with his great-grandfather originally from Bihar, India.
He went to Seychelles College for his primary and secondary education. Later, he studied theology in Mauritius and the United Kingdom.
Before getting into politics, Ramkalawan became famous in 1990 when he gave a sermon that criticized the one-party government of Seychelles.
He spoke about the need for more freedom, respect for human rights, and the rule of law. This made him popular among people who wanted change.
He then helped to form the Parti Seselwa, the first political party to register after Seychelles returned to multi-party democracy in 1992.
As President, Ramkalawan has taken on additional roles, including Defence, Legal Affairs, Public Administration, National Planning, and National Security. He is the fifth president of Seychelles.
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What Is The Name Of Seychelles Vice President?
The current Vice President of Seychelles is Ahmed Afif. He took office on October 27, 2020. Ahmed Afif was born on January 6, 1967, and he has had a long career in public service and finance.
Ahmed studied at the Polytechnic in Seychelles before he went to Warwick University in the UK where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics, and Economics in 1992.
After his studies, he returned to Seychelles and started working at the Central Bank. Throughout his career, Ahmed Afif has held various government positions.
He worked in the Department of Industry, helping to create an International Business sector in Seychelles. Also, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles International Business Authority (SIBA). Then, he was appointed as the Principal Secretary of Finance and Trade.
Aside from that, In September 2016, he was elected as a member of the National Assembly for the Anse Etoile district. In March 2018, he also served as the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.