The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

Seychelles Communists Hack CAA Powers

 

When the constitution of the 3^rd Republic was being drafted, it was the expressed intent of the framers to allow for the creation of a Constitutional Appointments Authority (CAA). The appointments authority was an idea that was taking most modern democracies, that needed to have constitutional appointments to enforce democracy that must clearly, and conclusively be beyond partisan politics.

 Jeremy Bonnelame - Head of CAA

CONSTITUTIONAL APPOINTMENTS AUTHORITY Article 139 prior to  6^th Amendment provided:

1. There shall be a Constitutional Appointments Authority which shall perform the functions conferred upon it by this Constitution and any other law.
2. Subject to this Constitution, the Constitutional Appointments Authority shall not, in the performance of its function, be subject to the direction or control of any person or authority.

The 6^th Amendment passed by the Communist led National Assembly, July 11^th, 2011, along with the single SNP vote from Jane Carpin, hacked the independence of the CAA as highlighted by this Article, with amendments that made the appointments of the CAA subservient to the office of the President of Seychelles, in the case of the Elections Commissions.

CAA Appoints Seven(7) President Names Five (5)

The first gross violation of the independence of the CAA is the appointment process of the Elections Commission, under the new Amendment. Under this scheme, the whole recommendation of the Commonwealth Observers, SADC, and our call for an independent election commission to replace a single electoral commissioner , has literally been tossed into a bin, to make a mockery of the seriousness of the recommendations.

The whole effort, seemingly pulls the wool over everyone’s eyes, and renders the principle of independent appointments to make democracy functional, farcical. The CAA has become subservient to partisan politics thus tainting its appointments and rendering them not independent.

Under the new process, and hacked powers of the CAA, the CAA appoints Seven (7) persons to the Commission. Then the CAA must submit the names to the President of the Republic, in this case, James Michel, a habitual presidential candidate. The President, then selects Five (5) persons to his choosing. This means he overrides Two(2) CAA recommendations, and the CAA selections become subservient to the President of the Republic. This is nothing short of an outrage.

Michel - First the Coup D'etat, now the Constitution

The matter must be highlighted, and rectified with an additional constitutional amendment. Failing to do that, we will be setting a precedence for the PL to follow in the future with appointments of judges, and other constitutional posts. The independence of that key branch of government will be eroded permanently to our detriment as a country.

Seychelles today, in practice has run backwards into the One Party state. We have a executive office, that is imposing his autocratic will upon the electorate. This autocratic will has its roots in a totalitarian culture, born out of the coup of June 5^th 1977.

While we have no time to look to the past, we cannot move forward as a Nation, without due reflection, on where exactly this totalitarian tendency comes from and raises its head, when the going gets tough.

It is for this totalitarian will that Seychelles is BANKRUPT and we face moral decay in our society. Nothing else is to blame, because nothing else exist in Seychelles.

Autocracy Over Dialogue

Communists are use to dictating terms and conditions to participation in business, social life, and political life. In our short history since the announcement of multi party democracy by Rene in 1991, we have been dictated to. Only one instance, did the opposition unite as a solid force to say “NO”. This was the BOYCOTT of the first constitution which was rammed down our throats by the communists.

Communists do not understand how to dialogue. They prize politeness towards them, over communication of solid ideas to them. They call you “sauvage” if you do not bow and cow tow to them and their bad ideas. As a consequence, our country fails year after year.  

Time To Boycott With One Voice

The opposition of Seychelles, must be strong and determined to unite with one voice to face down this scourge of communism and autocracy that has taken grip of Seychelles, under the Michel Administration.

The time is now, we must say “NO” again like we did in 1992 when they dished out a one party state constitution and told us to take it or leave it.

It is a time to put party self interest aside, individual self interest on the shelf and stand up for your country and say “NO” to James Michel and his autocracy.

We must say we do not accept the hacking of the powers of the CAA. It is undemocratic and it is another step to take Seychelles back to the one party state.

The Rush and Panic Is On

By closing the Assembly under highly dubious circumstances, and the cases rest before a Constitutional Court with judges on holiday, the Communists are burning up the clock to National Assembly elections, while their communist candidates follow the IOG flame around the districts, and use beer and burgers funded by the business community of Seychelles, to campaign.

We should not be in a rush to meet a Communist deadline, which they set, and they rig to sham another election.

What the opposition should be doing now, is dialogue, and work towards a unifying platform to BOYCOTT this sham process, which is in play already.

Once you fall into the trap of a communist timeline, you fail. Why? Because they rig the process and rig the rules, and sham the outcome to their favor.   They execute on their timeline.

The Boycott of 1992, showed us all that we can derail the communists game plan. We can break their nerve, and we can bend their knees to the people, and not the other way around.

When we asked for a level playing field, and international observers made the same call, we did not mean that the communists should take over the field all by themselves, by hook and crook.

From the allege buying of SNP MNA’s, to the missing ballot boxes that were alleged to have gone to State House, before National House, now the dissolution of a National Assembly, the co-conspiracy of the courts to sit on constitutional rights and human rights, and now the overt hacking of CAA independence, it looks like by hook or by crook, we are heading back to where we came from: One Party State!

If One Party State you want, One Party State you get!

Boycott the National Assembly Elections!

Seselwa Unite!

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!