National_Assembly_(Seychelles)
National Assembly (Seychelles)
Legislature of the Seychelles
The unicameral National Assembly (French: Assemblée nationale, Creole: Lasanble Nasyonal) is the Seychelles's legislative body.
National Assembly | |
|---|---|
| 7th National Assembly | |
 Logo of the National Assembly of Seychelles. | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 30 July 1993 (1993-07-30)[1] |
| Preceded by | People's Assembly of Seychelles |
| Leadership | |
Speaker | |
Deputy Speaker | |
Leader of Government Business | |
Leader of the Opposition | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 35 |
 | |
Political groups | Government (25)
Opposition (10)
|
Length of term | 5 years |
| Elections | |
| Parallel voting | |
First election | 20–23 July 1993 |
Last election | 22–24 October 2020 |
Next election | Not before 31 October 2025 |
| Motto | |
| United in diversity Seychellois Creole: Linite dans diversite | |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| National Assembly Building, Victoria | |
| Website | |
| nationalassembly.sc | |
| Constitution | |
| Constitution of Seychelles | |
The National Assembly in its current constellation formed following elections held on 22–24 October 2020, with a total of 35 members. The current Speaker of the National Assembly is Roger Mancienne, in office since 28 October 2020.[2]
The current National Assembly was preceded by the Legislative Council of Seychelles from 1962 to 1970, the Legislative Assembly from 1970 to 1974, the House of Assembly from 1975 to 1976, the National Assembly 1976 to 1977 and the People's Assembly from 1979 to 1993.[3]
26 members are elected in single member constituencies using the simple majority (or First-past-the-post) system. The remaining up to nine members are elected through a system of proportional representation. Members serve five-year terms.[4]
The working language of the National Assembly is Seychellois Creole. With permission from the speaker, members may address the assembly in English or French. Visitors may address the assembly in other languages with the speaker's permission.[5]
| Position | Name | Took office | Left office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legislative Council of Seychelles | Julian Asquith, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Asquith | January 1962 | February 1967 | Also colonial governors |
| Hugh Norman-Walker | February 1967 | January 1969 | ||
| Bruce Greatbatch | January 1969 | November 1970 | ||
| Speaker of the Legislative Assembly | Michel Lousteau-Lalanne | 1970 | 1974 | [8] |
| Speaker of the House of Assembly | Michel Lousteau-Lalanne | 1975 | 1976 | [8] |
| Speaker of the National Assembly | Michel Lousteau-Lalanne | 1976 | June 1977 | [8] |
| In abeyance | June 1977 | 1979 | [9] | |
| Chairman of the People's Assembly | David Thomas | 1979 | 1979 | [8] |
| Chairman of the People's Assembly | John Renaud | 1979 | 1983 | [8] |
| Chairman of the People's Assembly | John Mascarenhas | 1983 | December 1987 | [8] |
| Chairman of the People's Assembly | Francis MacGregor | December 1987 | 1993 | [8] |
Speakers and deputy speakers of the National Assembly of Seychelles since the 1993 multiparty elections:
| Legislature | Speaker | Deputy | Entered office | Left office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First National Assembly | Francis MacGregor | Shelton Jolicoeur | 30 July 1993 | 1998 |
| Second National Assembly | Francis MacGregor | Shelton Jolicoeur | 30 March 1998 | 2002 |
| Third National Assembly | Francis MacGregor | Shelton Jolicoeur Dick Esparon[10] |
17 December 2002 | 2007 |
| Fourth National Assembly | Patrick Herminie | Wilby Lucas[11] | 29 May 2007 | 2011 |
| Fifth National Assembly | Patrick Herminie | Andre Pool | 2011 | September 2016 |
| Sixth National Assembly | Patrick Pillay | Nicholas Prea | 27 September 2016 | 29 January 2018 |
| Nicholas Prea | Ahmed Afif | 6 March 2018 | 28 October 2020 | |
| Seventh National Assembly | Roger Mancienne | Gervais Henrie | 28 October 2020 | present |
The members serving as Leader of Government Business since 1993:[12]
| Legislature | Member | Party | Entered office | Left office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First National Assembly | Danny Faure | Seychelles People's Progressive Front | 30 July 1993 | 1998 |
| Second National Assembly | Patrick Herminie | Seychelles People's Progressive Front | 30 March 1998 | 2002 |
| Third National Assembly | Patrick Herminie | Seychelles People's Progressive Front | 17 December 2002 | 2007 |
| Fourth National Assembly | Marie-Louise Potter | Seychelles People's Progressive Front | 29 May 2007 | 2011 |
| Fifth National Assembly | Marie-Louise Potter | People's Party | 2011 | March 2012[13] |
| Marie-Antoinette Rose | People's Party | March 2012 | May 2016[14] | |
| Charles DeCommarmond | People's Party | 7 June 2016[14] | September 2016 | |
| Sixth National Assembly | Charles DeCommarmond | United Seychelles | 27 September 2016 | 28 October 2020 |
| Seventh National Assembly | Bernard Georges | Linyon Demokratik Seselwa | 28 October 2020 | present |
The members serving as Leader of the Opposition since 1993:[12]
| Legislature | Member | Party | Entered office | Left office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First National Assembly | James Mancham | Seychelles Democratic Party | 30 July 1993 | 1998 |
| Second National Assembly | Wavel Ramkalawan | Seychelles National Party | 30 March 1998 | 2002 |
| Third National Assembly | Wavel Ramkalawan | Seychelles National Party | 17 December 2002 | 2007 |
| Fourth National Assembly | Wavel Ramkalawan | Seychelles National Party | 29 May 2007 | 2011 |
| Fifth National Assembly | David Pierre | Popular Democratic Movement | 2011 | 15 May 2016 |
| Francesca Monnaie | Popular Democratic Movement | 16 May 2016 | September 2016 | |
| Sixth National Assembly | Wavel Ramkalawan | Linyon Demokratik Seselwa | 27 September 2016 | 28 October 2020 |
| Seventh National Assembly | Sebastien Pillay | United Seychelles | 28 October 2020 | present |
On 25 October, Wavel Ramkalawan was declared the winner of the presidential election with 54.91% of the vote, marking the first peaceful transfer of presidential power between different political parties since independence in 1976. He had run unsuccessfully in the presidential elections from 1998 onward. Danny Faure attended Ramkalawan's victory speech; in his speech, Ramkalawan emphasized reconciliation: "In this election, there were no losers, there were no winners — our country was given the opportunity as the ultimate winner."[15]
President
| Candidate | Running mate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wavel Ramkalawan | Ahmed Afif | Linyon Demokratik Seselwa | 35,562 | 54.91 | |
| Danny Faure | Maurice Loustau-Lalanne | United Seychelles | 28,178 | 43.51 | |
| Alain St Ange | Peter Sinon | One Seychelles | 1,021 | 1.58 | |
| Total | 64,761 | 100.00 | |||
| Valid votes | 64,761 | 98.10 | |||
| Invalid/blank votes | 1,256 | 1.90 | |||
| Total votes | 66,017 | 100.00 | |||
| Registered voters/turnout | 74,634 | 88.45 | |||
| Source: ECS | |||||
National Assembly
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FPTP | PR | Total | +/– | |||||
| Linyon Demokratik Seselwa | 35,202 | 54.84 | 20 | 5 | 25 | +6 | ||
| United Seychelles | 27,185 | 42.35 | 6 | 4 | 10 | –4 | ||
| One Seychelles | 1,420 | 2.21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
| Seychellois Alliance | 70 | 0.11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
| Independents | 317 | 0.49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 64,194 | 100.00 | 26 | 9 | 35 | +2 | ||
| Valid votes | 64,194 | 97.30 | ||||||
| Invalid/blank votes | 1,784 | 2.70 | ||||||
| Total votes | 65,978 | 100.00 | ||||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 74,634 | 88.40 | ||||||
| Source: ECS | ||||||||
By constituency
| Constituency | LDS | US | OS | Others | Valid | Total | Turnout | Registered | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | ||||||
| 1 | Anse Aux Pins | 1496 | 52.8 | 1254 | 44.2 | 84 | 3.0 | 2834 | 2916 | 88 | 3304 | ||
| 2 | Anse Boileau | 1564 | 53.1 | 1340 | 45.5 | 41 | 1.4 | 2945 | 3012 | 89 | 3398 | ||
| 3 | Anse Etoile | 2161 | 62.0 | 1273 | 36.5 | 50 | 1.4 | 3484 | 3585 | 88 | 4064 | ||
| 4 | Anse Royale | 1343 | 46.4 | 1484 | 51.3 | 66 | 2.3 | 2893 | 2893 | 86 | 3375 | ||
| 5 | Au Cap | 1845 | 61.7 | 1081 | 36.2 | 41 | 1.4 | 23 | 0.8 | 2990 | 3071 | 88 | 3509 |
| 6 | Baie Lazare | 1324 | 55.0 | 1083 | 45.0 | 2407 | 2481 | 90 | 2756 | ||||
| 7 | Baie Ste Anne | 1289 | 43.5 | 1383 | 46.7 | 292 | 9.9 | 2964 | 3051 | 89 | 3444 | ||
| 8 | Beau Vallon | 1727 | 60.0 | 913 | 31.7 | 239 | 8.3 | 2879 | 2963 | 87 | 3421 | ||
| 9 | Bel Air | 1025 | 51.7 | 870 | 43.9 | 87 | 4.4 | 1982 | 2028 | 88 | 2315 | ||
| 10 | Belombre | 1726 | 63.2 | 1005 | 36.8 | 2731 | 2822 | 87 | 3261 | ||||
| 11 | Cascade | 1317 | 54.2 | 1084 | 44.6 | 27 | 1.1 | 2428 | 2495 | 90 | 2785 | ||
| 12 | English River | 1429 | 57.5 | 980 | 39.5 | 50 | 2.0 | 25 | 1.0 | 2484 | 2575 | 89 | 2908 |
| 13 | Glacis | 1713 | 62.2 | 985 | 35.8 | 55 | 2.0 | 2753 | 2826 | 86 | 3270 | ||
| 14 | Grand Anse (Mahe) | 1428 | 67.6 | 685 | 32.4 | 2113 | 2183 | 88 | 2478 | ||||
| 15 | Grand Anse (Praslin) | 1296 | 51.8 | 1103 | 44.0 | 105 | 4.2 | 2504 | 2521 | 90 | 2810 | ||
| 16 | Ile Perseverance | 1438 | 53.2 | 1098 | 40.6 | 167 | 6.2 | 2703 | 2826 | 92 | 3083 | ||
| 17 | Inner Islands | 665 | 37.1 | 1105 | 61.7 | 22 | 1.2 | 1792 | 1838 | 90 | 2046 | ||
| 18 | Les Mamelles | 1177 | 58.1 | 827 | 40.8 | 22 | 1.1 | 2026 | 2084 | 90 | 2326 | ||
| 19 | Mont Buxton | 1449 | 58.5 | 993 | 40.1 | 35 | 1.4 | 2477 | 2552 | 89 | 2882 | ||
| 20 | Mont Fleuri | 1317 | 58.9 | 919 | 41.1 | 0.0 | 2236 | 2305 | 87 | 2643 | |||
| 21 | Plaisance | 1452 | 53.2 | 1221 | 44.8 | 55 | 2.0 | 2728 | 2845 | 87 | 3257 | ||
| 22 | Pointe Larue | 966 | 46.2 | 1096 | 52.4 | 28 | 1.3 | 2090 | 2142 | 89 | 2400 | ||
| 23 | Port Glaud | 870 | 48.4 | 929 | 51.6 | 1799 | 1856 | 92 | 2008 | ||||
| 24 | Roche Caiman | 776 | 44.4 | 781 | 44.7 | 192 | 11.0 | 1749 | 1803 | 91 | 1990 | ||
| 25 | Saint Louis | 1281 | 59.9 | 781 | 36.5 | 78 | 3.6 | 2140 | 2187 | 85 | 2572 | ||
| 26 | Takamaka | 1128 | 54.7 | 912 | 44.2 | 23 | 1.1 | 2063 | 2118 | 91 | 2329 | ||
| Total | 35202 | 54.8 | 27185 | 42.3 | 1420 | 2.2 | 387 | 0.6 | 64194 | 65978 | 88 | 74634 | |
| Source: ECS | |||||||||||||
- Ernesta, Sharon (August 2, 2018). "8 facts about the logo of the Seychelles National Assembly". www.seychellesnewsagency.com. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- "New LDS-strong National Assembly sworn in". Seychelles Nation. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- Allagain, Stanley. "Our History – The National Assembly of Seychelles".
- "Seychelles National Assembly Election 2020". Election Commission Seychelles. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- "Standing Orders, 2020". The National Assembly of Seychelles. 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
- MacGregor, Francis E. (September 12, 2004). A Parliamentary History of Seychelles. F.E. MacGregor. ISBN 9789993160007 – via Google Books.
- "MFA Press Statement Presentation of Credentials". www.mfa.gov.sg.
- "History of the National Assembly". The National Assembly of Seychelles. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
- Georges. "Ambassador Potter retires from public service". Ministry of Youth Sports & Culture. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
- "Seychelles' National Assembly approves ambassador nominations". www.seychellesnewsagency.com. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- "Seychelles election: Wavel Ramkalawan in landmark win". BBC News. 2020-10-25. Retrieved 2020-10-27.