Thursday, July 30, 2009

Seychelles Comedy - State House Anytime Now

"The Plot Thickens at Seychelles State House…." - By Seychelles Shakespeare

Secretary of State JenPa enters the Presidential Office for the morning briefing. The Arab Sheikh and family have finally left and the Seychelles Airport and the Barbaron ranch and villas have become very quiet. The South-East monsoon winds are blowing hard, and fish is rare at the Victoria market. The unusual heavy rains have saved Seychelles from another drought season, while King Prawn Mukesh desalination plants which cost Seychelles taxpayers millions of dollars have been shut down as they are too expensive to run and now sit idle collecting rust. La Gogue Dam built by Mancham from money he squeezed out of the British was at 16% capacity and the impending dry season of four months was projected to bring our economy and tourism industry to a dry, grinding halt.

JenPa: Good Morning Mr. President. Thank God for the rains and the Arab ruler who brought some dollars into our fragile, small-island economy.

President: Indeed JenPa. God must be shining his light on me. First rain and then a $30 million gift. Add the Jj Talent show and the wonderful women in my life, my fat overseas bank account, then add a new Chief Justice, and what more could a person ask for?

JenPa: Well Sir, maybe a new Police Force would be great as there is chaos with the brutal murder of one of our citizens and even more corruption in the force. The Irish are proving to be quite useless.

President: Ok JenPa, one thing at a time. God took six days to create the Earth and the Heavens, so let us not ask for too much now.

JenPa: Agreed Sir. But let me say Mr. President that it is a true honour serving you as your faithful Secretary of State as well as the Jj Spirit Team Leader.

President: Thank you JenPa. The JJ Spirit Talent Show did what we expected and I loved seeing you and Appoo on SBC-TV dancing and moving to the Reggae beat.

JenPa: (blushing and giving a shy look to the President)..Oh Sir, we were just shaking our little butts and showing off our own home-grown talent.

President: Too bad I can’t move like that anymore as arthritis has set it. I used to be a regular at Reef Hotel until our bomb blew it up. Then I could not show my face there anymore.

JenPa: I am sure Sir. I’ve seen a picture of you in your bell-bottoms and your Afro hairstyle back then. You were just like the Pti Men of today!

President: Indeed I was, and too bad Shillington did not put that in his modern history book.

JenPa: Maybe in the next edition Sir as I hear MacMillan is under pressure to stop the publication of this book. Too many lies Sir, just to please the old Master.

President: Ah history, my worse subject in school. Anyhow, let’s talk about now instead of the old days. Thank God it rained like cats and dogs as the talent show promised. Since the desalination plants are rusting and maintenance is too expensive, it was up to the JJ Spirit to bring the rains upon us. It is truly amazing what has happened. We are saved for another year. The tourists will not have to shower from a bucket and our little tresor children will not have to brush their teeth with muddy, salty water.

JenPa: Sir, the talent show brought out the very best red talent from our islands. Even our judges have talent you know Mr. President.

President: Yes, I know Miss Seychelles is quite talented and looks great in high heels. Liz is exceptionally talented and has managed to tattoo twin dolphins swimming on her back. Now that is talent JenPa. I wonder if there are any more tattoos down there (wink wink)….

JenPa: Yes indeed Spirit leader, these are all examples of amazing talent. But did you see my bossom swimming buddy Kenny Roberts? What a magnet of talent! He has made Seychelles proud in so many great moments when he beat the best of the Indian Ocean in swimming competitions. As a judge, he was superb Mr. President and carried the torch of talent forward in the talent show. As you know Sir, Kenny has done a superb job at SBC for you. He has towed the line and followed all the instructions I have given him. On the JJ Spirit team of opportunism, he has taken advantage of everything I have dished out to him and certainly proved himself.

President: What is your point JenPa? I am quite busy today as Liz has a few requests I must handle, and I also have to sign a form to export 2 giant tortoises I promised to the Chinese.

JenPa: (staring at Mr. President's empty desk in disbelief)…Well Sir, with the rains and the corresponding rise in tides, we will all be swimming to survive soon. As you know, many ministers cannot swim. They are quite heavy, lethargic and pretty much dead weight Sir. They are having trouble surviving the onslaught as we go into the abyss and deep down under, Mr. President. The district meetings are showing their poor performance.

President: Really?

JenPa: Sir, many ministers are complaining. Last week at the Maia Hotel Art Festival that was opened only to a few high-ranking Seychellois, I overheard Pillay-Piman whispering quietly to a certain big businessman that we are too corrupt. Belmont says he only learns of things in his Ministry when he is in the Council of Ministers meetings. Skinny Morgan still has not explained what happened to the $4.5 Million at Ile Perseverans. And Faure of course is masterminding your quick and premature retreat as he tries to fix the economy.

President: That is not good news JenPa.

JenPa: No Sir, absolutely not. My Manchester University Degree on the wall tells me that it time for you to move quickly to retire growing opposition in your rank and file, and to save the Jj Spirit Team of course. You need to promote new talent, Sir, just as you promised in the talent show. If you do, the youth will love you, and the old will respect you.

President: Smart boy you are JenPa. Now I know why I got rid of Orderly. Go on JenPa, speak quickly and tell me what you propose. I want to hear it before your two bald spots consume your whole head and the youth take you for an "oldie" cookie and you are consigned to the Jj Spirit “kazern”!

JenPa: Sir, don’t joke about my bald spots as I had more hair when I started working for you. It is pure pressure Sir. But given all these problems we face, I believe it would be a good strategy to bring in new blood. Time to retire the old horses to the pastures so to speak.

President: You think so JenPa?

JenPa: Absolutely Sir. I strongly recommend that you bring in new energetic swimmers like Kenny Roberts as a Minister. Sir, he has a degree from an American University, and that might help us with the new American lady Ambassador that has just been appointed by Obama. Liz can also take over at Culture and we can move Meriton to Finance. Retire Danny early to agriculture and tell him to sort out the mess Morgan has not been able to handle. Retire Morgan since he has no explanation as to what happened to the $4.5 Million at Ile Perseverans.

President: JenPa, you are a genius.

JenPa: Sir, I’m not done. Dugasse should go too as Seeva our Ambassador has been complaining about irregular financial activities, and of course there are several Russian and Arab investors who are after his head as well. Also with Mr. “Banbara Deal” Rondolph moving to Mombasa, that will leave us with only Rolph to deal with later. Sir, IMF will be so happy when you tell them that you are getting rid of some corrupt Government officials and our people will see a real President in action.

President: I hear you loud and clear JenPa. And what about Pillay?

JenPa: Well he has done enough and has amassed enough land to last him a lifetime, including that huge farm of his. You should replace him with Nitro-Nourrice, a real Yes-Man who will do whatever we say. Anyhow, he made a huge mess at SIBA, so we can be proud of him and promote him.

President: What about Miss Seychelles?

JenPa: Sir, just make her the reigning queen for a second year in a row!

President: Brilliant my boy. Go Manchester! That thing on the wall seems to work well. I think I need one.

JenPa: Sir, don’t worry. The University of Seychelles will open shortly, and the first degree will be bestowed upon you. Imagine getting a degree from a University that you founded. That’s another brilliant coup and you can finally add a degree to your CV. That will put you in the ranks of Mancham and Rene with their law degrees.

President: Ah JenPa, I have always dreamed of wearing that cap and gown and holding that degree in my hand. Lepep will soon see what a smart man I have become.

JenPa exits the President’s office, leaving the “savant” in a daydream of universities and future diplomas. With a smirk on his face, JenPa is feeling overjoyed by his ultimate plot to place his own friends in the highest offices in the land and displace these shameful SPPF Old Guard. “Once and for all” he mutters to himself, “ I can rid myself of the embarrassment of being a Coup D’Etat poster child and put the Adam family name right back where it belongs. Revenge is sweet”…

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Seychelles Cartoon - Oxygen

Seychelles cartoon - Oxygen for President

The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

We Need Strong Institutions, Not Strong Men

Recently President of the United States Barack Obama gave a powerful and moving speech before the legislature of the Republic of Ghana as he highlighted the need for Africa to focus on creating strong institutions and not merely attempt to sustain strong men. Obama chose Ghana for the visit and speech because Ghana has been a beacon of hope in Africa in as much as it has moved away from strong man politics and fostered real democracy for its people.

In this speech, President Obama was giving all of Africa, which includes Seychelles, a road map to building a successful society. In President Obama’s opinion, African countries need to build strong judiciary branches, assertive legislatures, and corruption free executive branches of government. Office bearers must serve the people and not live off them in luxury while the ordinary person suffers under a tutelage of corruption, mismanagement and bad ideas that go unchallenged year in and year out.

Obama told us that because many African states have failed to build strong institutions since the end of the colonial era, the change across Africa will have to come from honest citizens. Blaming the colonial past for our failures today will not make things better. Obama says the change he speaks about, must come from the bottom up and it will not emanate from the top down. At the same time, Obama says we are guilty of tribalism in Africa. In Seychelles, this translates into being guilty of political tribalism. One side is the red tribe of communism and cronyism, the other side, the opposition that seeks libertarian freedom from communism.

Somehow good ideas will have to rise above this tribalism in order for Seychelles to rise above its failures under Parti Lepep. Importing Indian and Chinese workers, apartheid-minded relic investors, or Russian and Arab super rich will not solve Seychelles’ problems. Mr. Ramkalawan, Leader of The Opposition has called on the best men and women of the country to join the cause of change. Mr. Volcere Leader of NDP has called on Government to make corrupt officials like former Governor of the Central Bank Francis Chang Leng accountable.

To support honest hard working citizens at the bottom in all African countries, to bring about change in our respective states, President Obama has informed us in his speech, that he will direct the Secretary of State to now have the respective embassies play particularly close attention to allegations of corruption in all African states.

To highlight this, there will now be a section in the Country Reports, dedicated to Corruption allegations, in order to assist the good hard working citizens to rid their countries of corruption, and hence, foster greater transparency and yes, even accountability; that ugly word that we are not allowed to mention in Seychelles today.

President Obama’s Speech Comes at a Good Time

President Obama’s speech has come at a good time when US foreign policy in the Indian Ocean, particularly, the Seychelles was faltering under poor leadership that routinely profess to enjoy “friendly and excellent relations” with a leftist communist government in Seychelles, with the objective of “securing American interest in the region” at the expense of foregoing and ignoring incidences of gross corruption within the same government they enjoy cocktails with.

A couple of weeks before President Obama made his road map speech for Africa, the US Charge d‘Affaires, Virginia Blaser of the US Embassy Mauritius-Seychelles, invited SPPF-Lepep government officials to a cocktail reception on board a visiting US warship. Unfortunately, she forgot to invite the 30 odd US citizens who reside in Seychelles, to attend the same cocktail, as is tradition, when the US Navy calls on Port Victoria. These US citizens have personal knowledge of what happens in Seychelles, that knowledge may make Mrs. Blaser feel a bit uncomfortable and her job a little more difficult.

The US citizens it seems, would know too much of how things are done in Seychelles, to attend a polite cocktail that pushes US interests along as they settle on final security agreements in the region to protect the Seychelles from pirates and to secure a greater sphere of influence for USA.

Mrs. Blaser seems to have forgotten who she works for, and what her country stands for in a moment of attempting to secure what is expedient and easiest for her desk.

Under President Obama’s new instructions, Mrs. Blaser will have to now write and read in the Human Rights Report on Seychelles, the allegations of corruption which may well involve the individuals on her cocktail party invitation list. It is indeed a new day in Africa as President Obama asserted.

In this new day, Mrs. Blaser will be in a position of great contradiction as she now must preside over shedding light on corrupt practices, which in the past, her Embassy ignored and were not brave enough to put pen to paper for fear of destroying cordial relations with communist friends in the region.

Perhaps, Mrs. Blaser may be best utilised by the State Department on another mission, probably in a country like Ghana where corruption is not an issue of the day. There, she can work to preserve US national interests in a country that is not facing failed state status. For far too long, too many people have kept their heads in the sand while they enjoyed the little pompous luxuries, while living off US tax payers money overseas that the US hailed day in and day out as a success, through the likes of Mrs. Blaser, when according to IMF, we are heading for collapse and enjoy the status today of being one of six countries in the world going through a depression. The World Bank lists Seychelles as No.2 in the World Misery Index. Sadly, Mrs. Blaser’s comments while on mission here hide these little details.

Mrs. Blaser has brought absolutely no pride to America on her watch in the Indian Ocean. The beacon of freedom and the torch of liberty have certainly dimmed since her arrival, and has left our region as dark as ever.

Call In Bill Gates

To add insult to injury, is Mrs. Blaser aware that the Four Seasons Hotel Group is partly owned by US Microsoft giant Bill Gates and Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal of Saudi Arabia? Is Mrs. Blaser aware that the group’s hotel in Seychelles was granted tax concessions that allowed it to import over 70 luxury vehicles at substantially reduced tax rates to the detriment of our taxi drivers and other operators in the tourism trade who do not benefit from such soft tax concessions?

Is this a fair and level playing field in which the free market can flourish as little local operators must unfairly compete with interests held by two of the richest men in the world?

Is it right and proper for American interest companies in Africa to enter into negotiations with corrupt governments of the day and invest under tailor made concessions? Does that not open the door for corruption in Africa? Will you be there for them when the concessions are cancelled and rendered null and void?

The Plantation Club Hotel & Casino Debacle

The Plantation Club Hotel debacle is a scenario that has perplexed the general public. The majority shares in the hotel were owned by the Davison, a reputable American family. Their major error in judgement was to offer a nominal percentage of shares to the communist Government of Seychelles back in the 1980’s when they were building the hotel, probably having done so under duress since most private hotels in Seychelles had been acquired illegally by the Albert Rene SPUP government soon after the deplorable Coup D’Etat of 1977. I am not defending the Davisons for their business practice, but I must say, I saw the railroad job they received in open court and watched it play out on the government controlled Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). It was shocking, shameful and made a mockery of the Seychelles judiciary branch!

Davison has alleged that members of the SPPF-Lepep government had received money to manhandle the Plantation Club Hotel out of the grips of the Davisons family. Now, has Mrs. Blaser entered that into the Country reports let alone look into the allegations of corruption in the Executive and Judiciary branches that have clearly mistreated and swindled an American investor? I doubt it. Meanwhile, an “Arab investor” amazingly became the beneficiary and bought the hotel and quickly turned it into a brothel and playground of rich Arabs.

Well, what you put off in 2008, you can now give due attention to in 2009 according to President Obama. If not, I am most certain the US State Department will receive a briefing over and above Mrs. Blaser’s desk.

To be on point, the US Embassy has said little of this ram rod, railroading and was living testimony that Seychelles does not have a strong judicial system, but rather, it is a judiciary that bends to the will of forces, that determine its salary. The recent salary outcry adds testimony to that fact.

The Charge D’ Affaires for the US Embassy has been publically quiet about these democratic credential issues and seems to have approved by simply remaining silent and not ever making a public statement of concern over the matter and the role of the Judiciary in the affair of the Plantation Club.

Imagine how US citizens doing business in Seychelles will feel to see the huge investments of Plantation Club Hotel disappear through liquidation while the US Embassy in Mauritius remains dead silent over the affair?

As the winds of change blows over the Indian Ocean, and drones are sent out to attack the Al Qaeda and the Taliban, perhaps the US State Department and the US Embassy can send us a drone Charges D’Affaires programmed by President Obama himself. That should improve things quickly, and American taxpayers can save money on the cocktail parties for communists let alone pay for five star hotels.

YES WE CAN!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois and Our Beloved Seychelles!

Monday, July 27, 2009

Seychelles Presidential Advisor - Conflict of Interest

Seychelles Presidential Advisor in conflict of interest with GEF funds - Accusations of corruption and power hunger.

It has been announced that the National Climate Change Strategy for Seychelles will be undertaken and that the Consultant is Dr. Rolph Payet. This Strategy is being financed by the GEF and managed by the UNDP.

The GEF is the Global Environment Facility and the main funder of environment projects in the world. Seychelles is benefiting from some 6 Million US Dollars of assistance most of it going to Government. In Seychelles the GEF projects are managed by UNDP (United Nations Development Fund).

But the man who decides how the money is spent is Dr. Rolph Payet. Payet is the GEF Operational Focal Point for Seychelles and as such is in charge of approvals for all GEF projects and has undertaken to manage decisions to do with GEF programs and projects in Seychelles. Payet is also Special Advisor to the President on environmental matters.

Therefore, this latest consultancy is a clear case of Conflict of Interest.

As Payet is also in charge of various climate related programs on behalf of the Government it is not proper that he is paid under a UNDP GEF consultancy to do work that he should be doing anyway.

Payet is undertaking many environmental consultancies in Seychelles but President Michel has stayed quiet about this very obvious abuse of power from his Special Advisor.

Payet as a civil servant does not pay any business tax for the many consultancies he undertakes.

I am a civil servant who is in fear of being victimized including losing my job if I reveal my name as Mr. Payet is a Special Advisor to the President and also is a Member of the Central Committee of the Party Lepep in power.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Relinquishing sovereignty of our own country!

Has The President of Seychelles relinquished the sovereignty of his office to accept being received in his own country by another National leader?

“The President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, announced this (US$30M grant, over 10 years, building and equipping an integrated modern diagnostic centre at Victoria Hospital, studying the economic viability of a new dam,...) when he received President James Michel at his official residence in Seychelles on Friday afternoon” (Seychelles Nation 20.07.09)

The president of UAE owns property in Seychelles and has turned the property into a private official residence.
When he does visit the country and occupies his residence, all rich and powerful and President of his own rich country that he is, and notwithstanding the respect and dignity which diplomacy and protocol demand he be treated with as head of a sovereign country, he remains a visitor to our country. A foreign and private citizen however rich and powerful he may be!.
If he were to invite the president to his residence, then surely protocol must require that as the only sovereign head of the land, the President of the Seychelles, is welcomed as a guest to a private house, as he would be in any other place in his own country
However, in the published ‘photo of the meeting at the Sheikh’s residence, we seem to see the Sheikh seated and framed by two UAE national flags, almost like as if he were receiving the President of the Seychelles in the UAE and not in Seychelles.
Is there an un-diplomatic but subtly clear message that we are expected to derive from this? A Seychelles flag next to the Seychelles President would perhaps have mitigated what seems to be a near undeclared take-over of the country by the UAE!
Do we so much starve for the millions that the UAE seems willing to throw at us that we would loose our very sense of what is proper and dignified, to the point that our president would accept a turn of the diplomatic table and be treated like a visiting head of state in his own country, by someone who is, to all practical purposes, his very own guest?
Is part of our sovereignty what we have to surrender in exchange for the Sheikh’s largesse?
Let us not be are blinded by gratitude when we go to fetch the cheque that we think and see nothing wrong in being treated like a subaltern in our own house by someone who is nothing more nor less, our guest!

Thursday, July 16, 2009

The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

Seychelles Enters Economic Depression

After touting the need to make economic reforms in the last quarter of 2008, the SPUP, SPPF and Parti Lepep have now officially taken the Seychelles into economic depression. This is the official IMF position concerning the Seychelles, as highlighted by Forbes Magazine, July 9th, 2009.

Forbes, an authoritative business publication quoted International Monetary Fund (IMF) source and reports referring to Seychelles said: “…the USA was fortunate to not be in a depression like numerous world economies such as Seychelles, Iceland, Venezuela, Ukraine and Jamaica, (which) are saddled with huge government debt burdens and are drowning in it”.

Worse, according to Forbes, all five (5) countries have weak GDP (Gross Domestic Product) meaning what a country earns in one year, creating the ugly phenomenon known as stagflation.

As Seychelles is already under performing with -11% GDP in 2009 as confirmed by the IMF, we now have breached the -10% benchmark for what would be considered a recession. According to Forbes and IMF, Seychelles is one of the countries of the world going through an economic depression.

This depression is aggravated because we are also experiencing stagflation, wherein unemployment and cost of living shoots up, while the national turnover represented in GDP drops like a falling star.

Stagflationary depression as found in Seychelles is particularly troublesome and difficult to get out of because of the downturn in economic activity results in a curb in demand, hence, reduced economic activity which results in less money in circulation that is needed to generate business and economic activity. This results in reduced growth rates and reduced prosperity.

The final result is that life gets harder for everyone; there are less handouts, less capital projects from business and government alike. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) takes flight. The poor and vulnerable get even poorer and more vulnerable quickly.

The rich find their wealth in real terms disappearing overnight as values deflate from curbed demand, overhead costs eat away at reserves as cash flow tightens. Wealth vanishes over a prolonged downturn. In a phrase, we are now doing the incredible, unbelievable shrinking thing. Believe it!

Parti Lepep is leading the depression. How sad! What happened to Strategy 2017 and the 10% plus GDP per year and doubling of our income? All fancy words but no action and reality as usual.

A Personal Note

People of Seychelles, I have been writing for you for many years now at a time when few people would even think of alerting you to the real impending crisis we were about to face. SPPF called me arrogant. They said I was a prophet of doomsday, they called me Dr. Gill and Mr. Know it all, and ridiculed me and all my ideas I put on paper, while they could not fight back with any better ideas. They could not defend themselves, so they attacked me personally. Because I showed you the SPPF lies and I showed you how they have ruined our country, they punished me.

To punish me, they delayed my Planning Applications for subdivisions by as much as six years, for restaurant, by over three (3) years and even asked me for an EIA for a simple restaurant which Ephelia would be proud of, which counted every plant and crab on the proposed site that already had an old septic tank on it from a previous structure. For a fence, to protect my clients from thieves which they could not control, they delayed this reasonable request unreasonably for years, without showing good cause, after initially approving it on site.

A request for a car hire license was rebuffed even when it violated my constitutional rights to participate in the development of my country. In a phrase, they have done everything they could do to discourage me from placing a light over their heads. Like all Seychellois, SPPF and LEPEP want us on our knees to beg for what is rightfully our rights. I will not go on my knees. I ask all other Seychellois to stand and do not go to your knees. Face this failing regime with pride and dignity.

I will not be deterred from exposing SPPF Parti Lepep for what they are: an utter failure in Seychelles history. Give support to those that demand peaceful change. For those that cower on their knees in fear of retribution, please pray that God will give them the strength to fight this battle which we will win eventually.

They Are Communists - Red, Red Your Pants Are On Fire

We must see SPPF for what they are. They are communists. They use the People, the most simple and the most vulnerable to keep power so they can continue their communist ways.

As they continue to run Seychelles, we will all continue to suffer greatly. The suffering will continue to increase and it will continue to get worse.

Communist find blame everywhere except on their own desk which is usually empty. When they implement a bad policy or bad idea, they say it was necessary and now they will stop.

They will blame Seychelles problems today on the world recession. But remember, when they say the world is in recession, today in Seychelles, under SPUP SPPF Parti Lepep, same-o same-o , we are in depression again, like we were in the 1920’s under the British Crown and in the 1800 under the French Government.

As those administrations at that time neglected the Seychelles and was slow to do what was in the best interest of all our people, SPPF Parti Lepep has been no different. But today, the financial numbers are higher, but the pattern remains the same. Rene has changed nothing and has led us into an abyss of failure. He has only changed the names of our streets, got rich off the hard work of our citizens and state assets, and attempted to alter history to make him look better than his colonialists forefathers; some of which mismanaged our affairs.

Today Rene overtly attempts to side step Mancham’s good deeds and erase them from our history because Mancham was successful and smart; Rene was simply jealous of a Creole being successful and leading the Nation beyond the bondages of colonialism and history of slavery.

The Real Liberation

Mancham’s idea of an international airport and encouragement of a tourism based economy was the real liberation for all Seychellois from the shackles that Kastor wore under orders of his white shirt masters. This single timely great idea, set us all free and Rene knew this would happen. How many people work at the international airport and are open supporters of Le Pep, but in private and at the ballot box support the Opposition? They know who gave them the airport and the opportunities that came with it.

Without the airport, pilots today would be carrying cinnamon sacks on their backs. Stewardesses and air hostesses would be polishing floor planks with brosse coco, SPPF LEPEP! The airport which Rene opposed is what makes things possible today and what opened the Seychelles to the international tourism market.

What will make things happen is a full transition!

Big Let Down Lion Bites His Tail

Parti Lepep, SPPF, SPUP, same –o same-o have let the people of Seychelles down with their failing ideas. They want to claim to be architects of modern Seychelles. Yes, they are the architects of modern Seychelles depression.

They have ruined our economy of which the seeds were sown in the early days of the 1970’s under Mancham’s’ leadership and foresight to build dams like Rochon and La Gogue, to build an international airport and international class hotels on world class positions.

Today we look upon the Mancham era from Chief Minister to President, as an era of unprecedented growth and prosperity in Seychelles modern history. It was Mancham who took us out of the bush and allowed us to leave the cinnamon for birds if we so wished.

It was Mancham who gave us an alternative to the copra plantations, although he did not chastise them to destroy ambition and enterprising, hardworking individuals. It was Mancham who created the first housing projects of substance. But Mancham did not give out houses based on political support. He thought that if he provided housing, support would follow.

Rene and SPPF Parti Lepep like all communist organs want you to lay allegiance on their door mats in order for you to live and eat. They take your dignity and place it under arrest. They hold your dignity and individual pride hostage over a house, apartment, plot of land, business license, or even a little Terios Jeep with fuel vouchers.

SPPF-Lepep leaders Rene and Michel, you are not Gods and never will be. Your Parti Lepep is not the Catholic Church nor is it the Protestant Church. And you are not the mosque either.

SPUP SPPF Parti Lepep have let Seychelles down in a big way. Now it even bites its tail. Read on Red Herring!

Keep on biting!

Today, People of Seychelles, Parti Lepep is taking us back in time reminiscent to periods of great pain and suffering in Seychelles history. After World War One, under the British Crown, Seychelles suffered from neglect in administration, and went through a depression.

After the Second World War, again, Seychelles went through a period of depression as she was again mismanaged by the Crown Governors.

In 1935 James Lehman, a good Governor faced with a depression in Seychelles, advised the Crown Legislative Counsel that the government had been over spending and proposed that government official salaries be cut. The hard grim facts are that the government had been overspending, he told the Legislative Counsel.

Governor Lehman had the courage to tell the truth when Seychelles was in a depression. He took brave courageous exemplary measures to correct the shortfall. Example, he cut the SR 4,000 allowance for overseas travelling afforded to top officials and he found that to be exorbitant in difficult times, citing that Seychelles was not a far off savage uncivilized place that people had to escape from.

Parti Lepep so far has displayed no courage to cut top government salaries. Instead, they cut workers from government and raise their own salaries. Unbelievable indeed. But communist indeed.

With Parti lepep what do we see? A SR 64,000 proposed salary for a judge we do not know, when a Seychellois judge can and is showing every day he can do the same job for less and restore integrity in the court system. Plus our own Seychellois judges understand our Creole language!

Today, Bernadin Renaud stands in the same place Dr. Paul Lanier stood in 1929 seeking a doctors post as a Seychellois well/best qualified and he was side stepped by a medical assistant “Dr. Bradley”, a non-Seychellois, non-trained, non-qualified surgeon to head the hospital.

Will qualified Seychellois ever have a place in our judiciary system?

How sad a legacy this is for you, Mr. Rene, an attorney yourself! Today, a Seychellois must fight for a job he is qualified to do in his own country. You may want to take a dip in your triple dip pool and reflect on this as a personal matter for a minute. You will see quickly how the lion bites his own tail.

After all, Justice Renaud helped us draft the Constitution and he has proven that he is an avid learner and does not sleep on his head. He is young, energetic and his willingness to do good and improve himself and all that is around him comes from his heart, not his pocket. He places his name and convictions on the line and does not leave with it as he exits the immigration counter for another land to retire.

What about Chief Registrar Melchor Vidot, is he not qualified to be a Magistrate? And Mrs. Nicole Tirant, is she too smart to be a judge as is Miss. Alexia Amesbury, another very capable Seychelloise?

Or shall we continue to quote Mr. Boulle’s that “in the old days, Seychellois aspired to be judges and today, judges aspire to be Seychellois”?

Communist Perfect “No” Word

Oh, how you communists have perfected the reasons behind the word “no” is testament to the evil tendency of the human condition when faced with insecurity and the constant need to control what does not need instruction.

As the depression of 2009 sets in, the waste continues at State House. We see Goldwing motorcycles being used for VIP escorts when they can be used to patrol the streets of North Mahé and South Mahé to keep our people and visitors safe. We see abuse of spending in all corners, shopping trips to Singapore, Dubai, the list is endless of abuse of funds. Those caught by the press or even their peers with their hands in the public jar are allowed to frolic on to private enterprise without ever being held accountable. In fact, not a single Government worker has been sent to jail for corruption since the Coup D’Etat!

As this example remains the order of the day, more graft and corruption continue to eat away at our skim resources in a period that Parti Lepep has taken us all by themselves, but they want us to now “Koste” and help them get out of it.

Yet, they expect us to swallow all the partisan dung they dish out for us on June 5th each year, and endure all the exclusive airtime on SBC possible to whitewash history to make themselves look good, when in fact, they are the ugliest historical scar upon Seychelles since the measles outbreak in 1919 and the whooping cough epidemic in 1920.

How many lives and livelihoods will you take in this Depression of 2009 SPPF-Parti Lepep?

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois and Our Beloved Seychelles!