The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

Leader of Opposition Defaults on Unity Deadline

In September and October 2009, I held numerous meetings with Mr. Wavel Ramkalawan, Roger Mancienne, Jean Francois Ferrari, with the mediation of a prominent business personality in Seychelles.

In the meetings with these key personas in the SNP, a key point was brought up by myself as being a necessary ingredient to beating the SPPF- PP in the next elections: Unity of the Opposition to face a common opponent. I stressed this and said that the work towards unity had to be taken up as a matter of top priority and urgency.

Picking Up The Broken Pieces of Political Crystal
The NDP leader Ralph Volcere, did not attend these meetings. Since the termination of the Alliance between DP and SNP, there was a big gap widening, for numerous reasons. But the prominent business personality advised him of the meetings and asked for input and sought common ground, and kept him informed of developments. We all seemed to understand that unity in the opposition was important, no matter what kind of bad blood had surfaced over time between the different parties.

With our political history, bad blood is expected. It is what we do about it, is how we will be judged by future generations. It is on this note that true leadership will rise to the occasion.

I personally believe that individual whims and political cliques are subservient to the national agenda for change and a better Seychelles. The time for soft power and soft politics is over as Seychellois face losing their country to outside influences.

The idea of the meetings I believed was to eventually work towards bringing everyone around a round table for discussions, a little like the legends of King Arthur, the knight that united Briton after he was freed from serfdom knighthood under Roman Empire rule.

But time would show us, that in our mist, we have no King Arthur leading us. For those that have read the legend of King Arthur, we have only a Woad-Priest, leading us, in order to feather his bed. Read on, especially the SNP fanatics, but keep the Super Panadol 500 mg in hand, you will need it. But once the headache is over, you will be free from the mental bondages of being referred to as green behind the ears; you will soon know what your leadership is made of.

Can Ramkalawan Win A Presidential Election?
In one meeting with Mr. Ramkalawan the question surfaced: “Can Wavel Ramkalawan win an election with another Alliance”. The answer initially was “no, he is spent”. But Mr. Ramkalawan said that with everyone’s support and help, he could do it and he should be given one last chance, a little like the Michael Jackson last show at the time: “THIS IS IT!”

When I suggested his candidacy would be like a THIS IS IT”!” concert, he laughed, and agreed. He said with money, Scr. 10 Million, he could do it this time!

With that, Mr. Ramkalawan asked me to give a speech to the SNP in a Party Conference on the economy of the Nation, as a guest speaker in order to set the stage for unity within the opposition and to explain to the SNP in simple terms what was happening to Seychelles under IMF Program and national bankruptcy SPPF had taken us to.

I agreed to give the speech to SNP under one single condition put to Mr. Ramkalawan: “he must take immediate steps to unite the opposition, as hard as it may be”.

Mr. Ramkalawan agreed that he would do that, but told me the timing is not right at this time (October 2009). He elaborated, and asked that we set the time to appeal for unity within the opposition with the rebuttal speech he would provide to Michel’s State of the Nation Address in February, 2010. That was Five (5) months from the date of our discussions.

Count the months, they add up and tell a story.

Rebuttal State of Nation Address
The rebuttal to the State of Nation came, after James Michel gave another “Jack Joker liar, your pants are on fire” speech to the Seychellois people.

As Mr. Ramkalawan spoke, I glued my ears to the radio listening to the words and appeal for unity and chartering of a path forward for unity. My wife was insulting me, the entire time, telling me “Ramkalawan will never unite the opposition, because he does not want to win elections”, I snapped back at her, telling her, “Everyone wants to win!” Then she said, “Ramkalawan does not want to win, because he would not have a clue what to do with the mess, and he would have to finally start to do real work..., so stop dreaming”, she explained now with slight aggression towards me for ruining her day again.

The rebuttal speech came and Ramkalawan just took most of an article on STARSEYCHELLES I wrote, and used it for his speech, even the call for “Sesel Pou Seselwa”, he made with a weak appeal, was taken from the article. The appeal had not been made for over 34 years, after Independence.

I must reveal to the People of Seychelles, after that speech, I had never been so down and felt so low, for having been failed, by a man who did not keep his word, when it meant so much to the People of Seychelles.

I have known many political dead beats, but this one, at this time, in Seychelles history, well, let me say no more.

The Priest Cum Politician Is Late To Deliver On His Word Again
If any school boy or university student ever read the Legends of King Arthur, he would get the key message in it: “We are all born with Freedom in hand, and no man can take this away from us”.

Additionally, between men, it is the word of a man that he keeps that gives him value. When men break their word, and connive, mislead the public, and comrades in arms, with deception and manipulation, what they build, they build on sand. With the first wave, the effort is lost, the building destroyed.

This is the way of the world outside of Rene-ism Mr. Priest cum politician.

Break The Opposition Alliance
I know Mr. Ramkalawan broke off the Alliance with the DP and bounced Frank Elizabeth out of the National Assembly. I know his reasons, he did not trust Mr. Elizabeth with the 2/3 casting vote, if ever a constitutional issue would be tabled. There was no constitutional issue at hand when the Alliance was broken.

Mr. Ramkalawan gave some lame excuse to the public that Tromlin Island and Glouriese Island belonged to the French or Mauritius, I do not recall, and it is not worth the time to reference it from past articles.

But the bottom line is this: SNP would not have all the seats in the National Assembly today, if the DP did not lend a hand in the last elections. In spite of that, Mr. Ramkalawan broke his word, and broke a political alliance that could deliver Seychelles from PP and failing Michel.

King Arthur would have died to keep his word. With that, he lived to become the first King of England. I doubt Mr. Ramkalawan will ever become King of anything, if he habitually breaks his word as he treks on. If he does, it will be an act that defies the lessons of King Arthur, First King of England.

The systematic breaking of one’s word, without remorse, is a primitive communist antic I believe today, Ramkalawan learnt from Rene, who habitually, misled good decent people in the past. It is a bad habit and bad practice in any community. It is unbecoming of a priest, if he is still considered one, in the eyes of God.

If Mr. Ramkalawan is still a priest, in my personal opinion, if he breaks his word regularly, he is a perverted version of what a priest should be. The Anglican Church can do better, and the People of Seychelles deserve better.

If one regularly breaks his word on public issues, I can only imagine what he does on personal matters. The standard is obscene and calls for an internal investigation within the Anglican Church. How can priests be allowed to live such unfettered lives in a modern society without any accountability to the Church let alone the people?

Opposition Financiers Call For Tete a Tete
Exactly 30 days ago, a group of Seychellois opposition financiers called for a meeting of the different key players in the Opposition that can make things happen in Seychelles. I answered the call and attended the meeting.

Most of the players showed up. Mr. Ramkalawan noticeably was absent and failed to turn up for a meeting that was another bona fide attempt to unite the Opposition.

I could not believe that he would treat people who finance the opposition with such disrespect. The least he could do is to listen!

Perhaps it is so because today, Ramkalawan is likely being financed by SIVA, Eden Island, Khalifa and other non Seychellois interests that are meddling in our internal affairs and politics.

Many people do not want to believe that but it is beginning to look a little like Michael Jackson, dumping his brothers in arms on stage, to go do the Moon walk by himself, because it just makes more money, with less problems to deal with day to day. However, in the end it was his brothers, who were there for him all along.

Unfortunately, the opposition now faces a calamity in ranks. That does not speak highly of the leadership. I attended this past meeting and I will make myself available for any future meetings to unite the opposition. This remains an open commitment with no deadline on my part.

Five (5) Months Over Deadline
We are now Five (5) months over the deadline Ramkalawan set for himself in the meeting he had with me last year. Added to the Five (5) months grace he asked, that is Ten (10) months of no effort at unity. He is beginning to look like a total derelict, as a leader.

Times Move On and Things Just Happen

Time moves and stops for no one. Not even his Excellency the Right Honourable, Father, Right Reverend Mr. Wavel Ramkalawan. Since he has not met his deadline, we are working overtime to find out why he does not unite the Opposition.

We have exposed many scams ongoing now for many years, involving SNP leadership. I have posted them on Facebook and StarSeychelles. The termites are working overtime to discredit me. They even want to know why six (6) rocks are in the middle of my drive way. Good luck, termites, you will need it.

Since the deadline has passed, we have exposed Pauline Ferrari, sister of Jean Francois Ferrari as being an informant in opposition camp and recently rewarded as Honorary Vice Consul in Paris, working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and State House. James Michel occupies State House, not Ramkalawan.

Since the deadline has passed, we have been searching documents. We have seen SNP supporter Patrick Lablache (first cousin to Jean Francois Ferrari, Secretary General of SNP) and close friends, as signatory to the La Misere land sales to Sheik Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Mr. Lablache is now Chairman of Island Development Corporation (IDC), where Mr. Glenny Savy is CEO. This transaction to Khalifa was not tendered as required by the State Land and Rivers Act. Additionally, what is an SNP supporter doing as Chairman to CEO, Mr. Glenny Savy? We have heard nothing since the appointment from IDC, all is silent.

Since the deadline has passed, we have exposed Bernard Georges as being Sheik Khalifa’s lawyer for a Ten (10) acres Government of Seychelles parcel transaction, that violated the State Land and Rivers Act, by not offering the land to public tender. Why would Bernard Georges do a transaction as a Notary that violates the State Lands and Rivers Act provision of tender requirement for lands larger than Five (5) acres?

Since the deadline has passed, we now know that Bernard Georges, as Sheik Khalifa’s lawyer, and Renee Trioan’s lawyer, did numerous transactions at Barbarons Estate, to sell land to Khalifa, help him get established in Seychelles, and sell out Seychelles patrimony en bloc to one prince, that would later become a tribal king.

Viyzon infers that Bernard Georges doing transactions for land sale to Khalifa at the time, is fine because Khalifa was just a prince at the time, and not a tribal king as he is at the time Delo Kaka made the residents of La Misere sick.

Shame on Vizyon, today it cannot attack SPPF, it can only defend itself.

We will continue to expose the selling out of our patrimony and continue to educate the people of Seychelles of why there is no unity in the opposition, until there is. There is more information coming every day. If anyone from the Opposition wants to sponsor a full time researcher for Two (2) months, call me and make a pledge. Nobody likes being taken for a fool.

What Else Are We Uncovering under the Table Between SNP and SPPF- PP?
This has included the 38% salary increase SNP conspired with SPPF to get while Seychellois suffered great hardship under the IMF programs. They promised a raise when they took one for themselves, and now Seychellois get nothing, because there is no money to give raises.

This includes the 70% Pension for life for politicians SNP conspired with SPPF to get, that they never reported to the Public or debated. Mr. Hon. Ramkalawan (SNP) and Mrs Hon. Potter (PP) can resign today and they will be paid over Scr. 12 Million in pension if they live for 40 years. All they have to do is breath, inhale, exhale, do nothing for the People of Seychelles. This is not acceptable in any democratic country, why would they think it is acceptable in Seychelles?

Are we Seychellois entitled to less democracy and less accountability?

Do not forget the 18.75% Gross –Up Top Up increase, to pay for their taxes, that will come from funds of the People of Seychelles.

We are being sold out by our Opposition the SNP, abbreviation for Seychelles National Party. The “National” is the Gummy Bear or Spongebob type, choose.

People of Seychelles must open eyes, and open ears.

Unless this is true, the SNP must take steps to unite the Opposition, in spite of its loss of credibility. However, that will now mean cleaning out your rubbish bins, and cleaning house, before guests meet with you at this point.

You guys really stink! Wow, the garbage dump at Providence would be ashamed, if it could register an opinion.

Today, SNP cannot say: “Sesel Pou Seselwa!” Parti Pas Les Tombe, In Kas En Ba Tou Seselwa!


But we can all tell SNP and SPPF: “Sesel Pou Seselwa!

Now you SPPF-PP, don’t laugh too hard, next week it’s your turn again as usual, you bunch of sell outs of Seychelles patrimony.

People of Seychelles, the time has come to draw a line with the selling of our patrimony. If we do not, our children will not forgive us, and we will no longer remain a fundamentally Christian based nation.

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!