US Ambassador Needed - By Sir James Mancham

Printed in the Washington Times - 23rd September 2009

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/23/us-ambassador-needed/

By Sir James Mancham

No country is small if it is surrounded by the sea. If you need to ask someone why that statement is true, I suggest you ring up the director of national defense of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maj. Gen. Qian Lihua. On Sept. 1, he visited the Republic of Seychelles, an archipelago of some 110 islands scattered in the western part of the Indian Ocean. He arrived at the head of a high-level military delegation to sign an agreement of military cooperation.

"The Chinese Ministry of Defense and the Seychelles People's Defense Forces (SPDF) have since 2004 been working together to develop and build cooperation between our two forces," he said. "We have laid a good foundation for the future development of our bilateral and military to military relations."

Or you could ask Stuttgart-based commander of the U.S. African Command, Gen. William E. Ward. A few days after Seychelles signed the military agreement with China, the United States rushed him to Seychelles to assure the nation's leaders that the United States is committed to "a partnership toward the common objective of peace and security in the region and around the world."

No American ambassador was present at that meeting, because unlike China, Russia, India, the United Kingdom, France and even Cuba, the United States does not maintain an embassy in Seychelles. So instead, a military general was sent to mollify us while the Chinese strengthen their relationship with the leaders of Seychelles.

Of course, as the founding president of the Republic of Seychelles, deposed by Marxist rebels in 1977 and forced into exile for 15 years, I knew the strategic and global importance of the islands that have now become a vacation paradise for wealthy visitors from around the world -- many of them American celebrities and movie stars. After the end of the Cold War, I was allowed to return home and did so in the spirit of national reconciliation with a view to bring unity in the country and to work for world peace. Now, I am in the United States this week to pose the question: How can the United States say, in one breath, that its relationship with Seychelles is important, but not important enough to maintain an embassy and full diplomatic status?

The Seychelles has always been a sleeping strategic giant. In fact, during the Napoleonic War, the British and the French for many years fought over the islands until the Treaty of Paris of 1814 recognized that the Seychelles had become British.

After the Falkland Islands war, the late U.S. Adm. Robert J. Hanks of the Institute of Strategic Studies here in Washington came up with a report of limited circulation. Adm. Hanks said that were it not for the fact that the United Kingdom controlled the island of Ascension, Britain never would have been able to recover the Falklands because the friends of the United Kingdom were also friends of Argentina. Furthermore, Adm. Hanks was of the opinion that strategically located islands had the potential of being regarded as "unsinkable aircraft carriers."

The growing competition for power and influence in the Indian Ocean, the world's primary energy and trade seaway, has certainly put the Seychelles at the center of superpower rivalry, not unlike the position held by another island resort in the 1950s more familiar to Americans than our nation -- Cuba.

The signing of a military collaboration agreement in peacetime or in the fight against piracy is one thing, but how such an agreement becomes effective in a moment of crisis and confrontation is certainly a matter for serious concern and conjecture.

While on the "military basis" both the United States and China could consider the situation "balanced," the Chinese appear to be winning diplomatically. The Chinese are operating with full ambassadorial presence and are extremely active in day-to-day people-to-people diplomacy.

Sadly, at the end of the Cold War, after Seychelles had hosted a U.S. tracking and spying station on its main island of Mahe for more than 25 years, the United States withdrew its ambassador from Seychelles on the grounds that the State Department had to make budgetary savings in order to find the necessary funding for new embassies it was opening in Eastern Europe.

By acting in this manner, the United States sent the unfortunate signal that its presence in Seychelles was purely motivated by its perceived "national interest" rather than respect for the sovereignty of the Republic of Seychelles and the pride of the Seychelles people. For this reason, when Chinese President Hu Jintao made an official visit to Seychelles some months ago, he was very much applauded when he told the people that China will not be a "fair weather friend."

This provokes me to ask: What weather conditions need to be in place for the United States to reopen its embassy and play its own role of people-to-people diplomacy?

Sir James Mancham, K.B.E., is the founding president of the Republic of Seychelles.

Seychelles Cartoon - The Curse

"The Curse"

The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

Central Bank Governor Introduces “Wobble-Nomics” To Seychelles

Our mild mannered Governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles (CBS) Mr. Pierre Laporte has been grappling with his new legislation to require that local establishments publish rates in Seychelles Rupees and when converting currency, they must use a median rate that the CBS issues from time to time. What about our commissions? What about our risks of taking fake notes? What about our profits? What if we have to buy and sell to complete multiple transactions? Are you really serious and have you not heard of letting the market find its own balance?

Here Comes “Wobble –Nomics”

In the meantime, the President of Seychelles, also the new Chancellor of the University of Seychelles, has taken to the districts throughout Seychelles to meet with hard core supporters in “tet a tet” meetings that are meant to discuss the future of Seychelles. But instead, complaints about coconut grass growing to light post tops, lack of street lights, drugs in schools, gutters over flowing with rubbish, prostitution and lack of public buses occupy the President’s time with the people. The future of Seychelles is indeed bright with so many great ideas emanating from these smart, propped-up Lepep supporters!

One of the key points the President relies on to show his programmes, (the IMF Plan) is working is the ever powerful Seychelles Rupee that has gained over 20% in value against major world currencies like the United States Dollar and the European Market Euro of course.

Poor US Dollar is now USD 1.00 = SCR 11.62, lower than the last figures to come from the Black Market. One mighty Euro trades only at SCR 16.62. President Michel says that is a success and it will curb inflation and reduce the cost of living for us poor Seychellois.

CBS Governor Pierre Laporte and George Thande (an embedded Nation newspaper journalist) tell us that inflation in Seychelles has gone from 78% to 31%. President Michel back in the Districts argues to the old ladies and pension-aged men that the cost of living is coming down and that everything is fine, to stay the course, to have courage, to back his Lepep party reforms and to continue supporting his Jj spirit. According to the Emperor, all is well in the land of the Emperor without clothes!

Meanwhile, and in my opinion, Governor Pierre Laporte’s stance is a little like acting like he is a muscle man economist when he looks in the glass of the Central Bank building before entering the office for a days work. Nothing could be further from the truth or this perception.

In fact, they are all relying on the “wobble-nomics” Pierre Laporte has brought to the Central Bank to fake a little more success. Why wobble? Because Mr. Laporte’s move to increase Treasury Bill’s interest to 32% soaked up most of the Seychelles Rupees in the system. While the Seychelles Rupee is strong against the USD and Euro, our receivables as a country are down – 20% and our GDP is – 10 % according to IMF. How can your currency gain when your economy is in free fall and no jobs are being created? Big question but here is the answer. What he has done is a little like a body builder taking steroids to build muscle. Steroids is cheating and the cheating comes back to destroy a bodybuilder’s health, even reducing the size of you know what!

Black Market Wobbles Back from No Supply High Demand to High Supply No Demand

The Governor of Central Bank has created a dangerous situation. Now that traders have over stocked goods in warehouses on a convertible Seychelles Rupee at the banks, these goods are too expensive to unload to the consumer who has a contracted supply of Seychelles Rupees. There is no new money and FDI coming into the system. Tourism is -20% according to Mr. Loustau-Lalanne of the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB), and tourism spending is lower than previous years.

In the past, traders purchased hard currency on the black market and passed the cost on to consumers. Now, they purchase currency from banks at high rates including excessive bank commissions and do exactly the same; that is to pass the cost on to consumers. This time around, the goods stay with the Traders. Why? Because there are Reserves in hard currency, but there are no Seychelles Rupees out and about town. No one trusts the Seychelles Rupee enough to convert hard currency held in accounts beyond what they must. The only winner is the commercial banks who are making those large commissions that were previously being made by the “Black Marketers”!

With Mr. Laporte’s policies in place, we have wobbled along from a Black Market where there was no hard currency at the banks, to where now there is hard currency, but demand is stifled, activity brought to a grinding halt, while banks also charge exorbitant rates and commissions. Why?

Because Mr. Laporte let the banks do what they want including charge high commissions, while at the same time, he spends all his time and energy trying to legislate confidence in the Seychelles Rupee instead of legislating a favourable business environment to allow the Seychelles Rupee a fair chance in due course, to acquire its credentials.

He Dare Scare The Goose

Mr. Laporte’s legislation to impose confidence in the Seychelles Rupee has done nothing more than frighten the Tourism Industry players into freezing many future developments in Seychelles for fear of instability at the ships helm. Many are now putting properties up for sale to cut losses. Enough is enough. Where is Emirates, Qatari Diar, Beachcomber and many others with their promises of billions of dollars of investments? Where are the new jobs and new businesses? Are businesses expanding or contracting? No jobs, no new businesses mean less taxes collected by the Government. That is called a contracting economy!

With that said, Seychelles has had enough of freak show central bankers. Central Bank policy must be set by a Board made up of Trade, Government, capable, sensible, economics –finance expertise. A Central Bank Governor must not remain independent and in isolation any more, but must become answerable to a bona fide Board. And please Mr. Michel, not one of those boards like Air Seychelles with the same old faces or puppets of the master!

Bonuses from the Minister of Finance for doing a good job at royally screwing up our economy each year must come to an end. Golden Parachutes must be packed and stacked once and for all. Finally, Central Bankers and their staff must become accountable and face criminal charges when found guilty of manipulating the system for their personal gain or the gain of their masters. This must be retroactive to include former Governors not because it is right, but because we need the money that has gone missing. Sadly, ex-CBS Governor Mr. Aboo Aumeeruddy has recently suffered a stroke in his home country of Mauritius, and of course the last controversial CBS Governor Francis ChangLeng is now enjoying his large exit cheque and a fat monthly pension paid for by Seychellois taxpapers! How ironic that we reward those who fail us!

Now that the goose has been scared to a fright, the industry freezes the conversion of hard currency as much as possible and holds. As the rates Mr. Laporte dishes out become unfavourable and compound the cost of doing business in Seychelles by 20% -30% overnight, be warned, wobble-nomics will always blow up in your face, Mr. Governor. And the Black Market very soon will pay you a visit… in fact, it has already returned as consumers are getting tired of being ripped off by exorbitant bank rates and commissions! A free market indeed!

Today, the Black Market lurks behind the closed doors of the commercial banks. Supply of goods rots and expires in warehouses because the people cannot afford what Mr. Laporte has done. Our old people beg Mr. President to bring down the cost of living and he has nothing much to say. Prices in the shops are up, fuel prices are up, PUC rates are up. And yet, prices according to Mr. Michel is down. But then, maybe the containers of goods and freebies that come in for the elite, the army, the connected and the upper echelon of Seychelles are not taxed and are delivered straight to the homes like always.

So while our moderate communist leaders continue to speak with forked tongues and continue to deceive the masses with their promises, the people weep tears of pain and continue their daily struggle to feed their children, to find a job and to pay their bills.

So here is to our strong Seychelles Rupee SPUP....SPPF....now “MODERATE” Lepep....all failures as usual, despite the name changes.

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

Seychelles Cartoon

Jj off to the Moon

Seychelles Comedy - State House Anytime Now

HANDOUTS FROM THE CHINESE, LITTLE EMPIRES & THE REVOLUTION

The relentless begging continues as The President of Seychelles plays all his diplomatic cards to scrape a few bucks here and there under the banner of protecting our vulnerability from the pirates. After the Americans and the Arabs, he now woos the Chinese. More slush funds to wield the big stick on his people when we get closer to election time. Meanwhile, he has decided that there should never be any little empires in his government. James Napoleon Michel he is and will remain!

JenPa: Good Morning Sir! We have the top Chinese military officials visiting today and they have agreed to grant us close to one Million US Dollars. This is great as it will be added to the defence kitty and no one will complain. Such grants go a long way towards our own personal security as this is the time where we need it the most.

Mr. President: So the Opposition cannot accuse us of using the Seychelles Army budget as slush funds. We can use the money to reward the loyalty of those protecting us. Our security detail has more than doubled since I assumed the presidency and we need to pay for this – especially in these dire economic times. We do not want an army rebellion like we had in Madagascar on our hands. We will have a major problem if the people start taking to the streets. Right now, it seems that our strategy of hearing them out in the districts is working and we are giving them ample airtime on SBC. Even if it is a small group, it can influence the rest. And Onezime is now my man at SBC.

JenPa: Indeed Sir. We are pursuing a similar strategy as the Chinese. We encourage all foreigners to invest in Seychelles to bring in the wealth, distribute this among the preferred clan and hand out a few services and basic housing to the population. This is Capitalism a la Communist style. When we have a revolt on our hands we do not condone such attitudes and we keep everyone in line. They are really clever these Chinese. They give us 2 buildings for the pillars of our Constitution and provide the Executive with the stick to keep total control.

Mr. President: This is the strategy my boy. I learned this well from the old man from Barbarons. You let the country run into a bit of chaos, then you take a tough approach towards everything and you annihilate the opposition in the process. Everything is done for a reason. I am an old fox at this. While the drones and Atalanta forces watch over us and help us out of this IMF economic mess, we secure ourselves, I call early elections based on the premise that things are getting better and I’m in for my third term. Now that we have started cleaning up with the NDEA, things are getting a little clearer. Cannot catch the bigger fish yet as they are a vital part of our funding for all our election campaigns.

JenPa: Clever thinking boss! By this time, I will hopefully be able to take over old Pat’s seat and run a fine diplomatic institute that will make us proud. I will surely include you on some of the key trips of course. With the Jj Spirit foundation having taken root, I can ride on this tide to succeed you in this humble abode of the State House.

Mr. President: Yes, I had to retire some of these old dead heads and reshuffle some others. This is a great way to show that we are moving ahead and making progress even though it is the same old inefficient bunch that we are tossing around. It gives a semblance that we are working even though it is only marking time! We do not have any new people to appoint in these key positions. So the excuse is that in order to eliminate complacency and to stop them from building little empires, we shuffle them around. Incidentally, there are a few such as cowboy Maurice and Fat IDC Boy who will soon ride into the sunset. Or perhaps retirement will be the most appropriate word.

JenPa: It is a good idea Sir. But real little empires are still there for us all to see. Some of them like Mukesh have disappeared behind empires such as Intelvision and hotels, Ramadoss has got so much on his plate that he cannot chew anymore. Gros Sosis is nowhere to be found and left us with the massive hole that IMF is trying to fill. The list is endless. Too many emperors, too little subjects Sir! Or shall I say too many Chiefs and a lot of Indians!!

Mr. President: Yeah. And then there is the eternal problem of the infamous Savy brothers that will be with us until the old man goes to meet his Creator. Little Francis took a few years at STMA and came out with a massive empire that even I do not know where it starts and where it ends. Our own Air Force Captain David has made our national airline his own property and big boy Glenny is the main island man and thinks he owns our whole EEZ while he sells our islands and island villas to South Africans and Mauritians. I believe that he was the target of the Somali pirates. That would have warranted a big fat ransom indeed.

JenPa: We also need to start rotating the ministers around or bring in some fresh blood. Our people are tired of seeing the same old faces on their TV screen every night singing the same old tunes. Joel got himself entangled in the PUC saga and Danny tried his best to cover the holes that Joel made after the Perseverance fiasco. Blaming Barclays Bank Seychelles was not too clever. Do you think this reflects well on your administration Mr. President? These guys are a bunch of clowns when it comes to handling some simple explanations to the media. Even our little Serbian press secretary does a better job with her lovely accented Creole. Despite the fact that the new media commission is a load of baloney, she managed to sweeten it out. I’ve told her to continue wearing those low-cut dresses when she’s on TV as our people will not focus on what she is saying.

Mr. President: Smart boy JP. She is definitely a good asset for us and we should use her a lot more. From now on, she will be doing all the press interviews that I do not feel comfortable about. It is a good cover. I can take on all the stuff that brings me the credit so that I can get my ratings up. Incidentally, we now have a much tighter grip on the media situation. No more of this Face a Face Jacqueline comedy which was threatening to let the cat amongst the pigeons. Onezime has been the key element in our strategy at SBC and he has been duly rewarded. He will keep the lid tightly shut and will continue to ask only questions that make us look good.

JenPa: I fully support the view that young people have to be given the chance to shine. This is what the Jj Spirit mantle is all about. As long as the old heads are around, we will not make much headway. Remember that this regime has been around for far too long Sir. There are some long serving members who need to shed their dead weight. Politics is about new ideas, new visions. I am grateful that you have recognised this and have made a case for empowerment.

Mr. President: I love this word “empowerment”. It shows that we are becoming more democratic doesn’t it? How do you empower people? Well you give them power right? If you give them power they might topple you one day. So the empowerment has to come from within. We provide our people with the resources for them to empower themselves.

JenPa: Indeed Sir. This empowerment comes at the right time. We will soon have our own university and our people will be able to grab these opportunities to follow your vision for a better tomorrow. By the time you are ready to hand over the reins of power, you will be respected as the man who empowered the Seychellois people after so many years of absolute power and control.

Mr. President: Now don’t you try to get too funny JP. We did this coup d’etat for a cause. Look at where we are today. Back then, we did not want Mancham to be laying the foundations of what this modern Seychelles is today. He was going all out to broker deals with the rich and famous but today, I can go down in history as the one who accomplished this dream.

JenPa exits the President’s office and shakes his head as he realises that all this has come a little too little too late! The Seychelles Empire has been divided and shared amongst the emperors, princes, maharajahs and princesses, and now whatever is left is being auctioned off to the Sheiks and other fat cats who have finally woken up and found their own little piece of Paradise. The poor Seychellois who believed in the famous struggle and “la revolution” will now have to contend with a mean little job at the beck and call of an emperor...

Seychelles Comedy - State House Anytime Now

YANKEES, PLEASE COME BACK HOME!

Finally we have a God sent African American President in the White House and he is starting to take a closer look at Africa and give a chance for his brothers to shine but at the same time advance the grand scheme of the USA to keep tabs on those Communist regimes like China who want to rule the world...and countries like Seychelles!

JenPa: Good Morning Sir! The high level delegation from the African Command Centre will be here within the hour and we need to ensure that we can get the best bargain out of the deal that they will be proposing to us. You have well noted that Mrs. Clinton has been doing her fair share of diplomacy on the African continent lately, although she did not stop in Seychelles.

Mr. President: Indeed JP. The time is ripe for Seychelles to strike a lucrative deal with the Americans and we need all the dollars we can get. I do not think they will remember me and the old gang who shouted ‘Yankees Go Home’ back in the 70’s. That was another era of course. Now we are calling them back because our safety is at stake and the only ones who can protect us are the Americans with their sophisticated machinery and firepower.

JenPa: Plus they have a vested interest in the whole region with the war in Afghanistan spreading down into Somalia and Yemen. Al Qaeda is closer to our doorsteps than we know. Can you imagine them taking our islands over? They will be closer to Diego Garcia and we can have an all out war in the region.

Mr. President: This is my philosophy of active diplomacy. Seychelles has to be friends to all. Just like wise old Jimmy said: “Friends to all, enemies to none”. It would probably have pleased Obama more if I had managed to get a Kenyan Chief Justice but at least we have a Ugandan. We are now using our influence with the Chinese to rebuild all our state institutions such as the Seychelles Parliament building and soon the Seychelles Judiciary building.

JenPa: Yeah, and now we are assured of a big US military presence with sophisticated hardware to watch over us in the counter terrorism age. That’s pretty clever Sir. I was told that during the days of the US Tracking Station Base at La Misere, several young Seychellois ladies were wooed by the Yankees and made it to the land of the free. Perhaps we can have the same effect now that a new wave of these hardy boys will be coming to town.

Mr. President: JP, we just cannot give them back the Tracking Station site as you know full well that we have given this to the Sheikh for one rupee. In fact, my strategy is to have the US presence here to keep our waters safer so that the big spenders from the Gulf can still enjoy our country as their playground and hopefully bring in the promised money to bail us out. I will suggest they take a few of the IDC hangars at the airport to run their operation.

JenPa: Sir, we can also propose a base on Ile Perseverance and get them to finish the construction of the dilapidated houses. In fact, they are also in search of a similar base such as Guantanamo to ship out the Al Qaeda prisoners, so they can use that to good effect and maybe pay us some more millions. By the way, I noticed that you did not invite our decorated Brigadier to attend the meeting?

Mr. President: Come on JP. That could have been a bit of an embarrassment don’t you think? His military knowledge is limited to AK-47s and building flats. I can see him asking the Commander a stupid question like “What is a DRONE”?

JenPa: Sir we need to be careful with those drones. They are highly sophisticated equipment that can turn against us as well. It has some sophisticated spying gear and flies remotely. We can use it to good effect and cut back on our spies that we place in all corners of Victoria. It can check on everything around the country. You can even get them to install a command centre right here at State House to check on every household. A perfect way to see if the activists are doing their jobs at campaigning for the next elections.

Mr. President: Great idea JP. Then we would have total control. If the Americans wants us to ease off on the freedom of the press by having more radios, TVs and independent newspapers, we can give in as we will not be monitoring every single household in this country. They can read and listen to what they want but we will have the ‘Big Brother’ power over them. Even at the elections the drones will be able to tell us where the people will be voting.

JenPa: We can now also spy on all the opposition leaders and see what they are up to. But can you imagine the sophisticated equipment we could have bought for all these years Sir. Now with the IMF telling us that we still have these $2.4 billion outstanding, we can also probably buy some of that sophisticated weaponry for our own use. If worse comes to the worse, at least we will know what to do. Cause once we have the Americans here, Obama’s desire for a flourishing democracy will prevail.

Mr. President: Indeed we have invested billions in this army of ours and we have nothing to show for except an old Topaz from India and one Chinese made surveillance aircraft. You see, if I did not engage in my active diplomacy we would still be in the age of 1977. JP, don’t you get it? The old Chief of Barbarons simply wants the Army here to protect his millions.

JenPa: Sir, we are back in the early days of the cold war. So we need to play our cards right. In the early days it was the Russians versus the USA for ideological influence and today it is the USA versus China for economic influence and of course the Middle-East oil supply. The Americans are hard working and intelligent and we need to provide them with all they require. This will be the key to our survival.

Mr. President: We will also finally get our nation to enjoy McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken and JP, you and your good bossom buddy Ken can have all the best beers such as BUDWEISER! Ah, I can hear the cars coming up State House Avenue. Let us welcome those Yanks with open arms.

JenPa exits the President’s office with a smile on his face, thinking about all the young American hunks that will soon be on our beaches and in our nightclubs. Hmmm hmmmm! The President stares outside the window, wishing he was young again and wearing a US Marines uniform. Ah, just think of how the women would flock to me… And I would flash those dollar bills around… my my my, how the tides have turned… I think I am finally seeing the light and becoming a true Capitalist like Albert, Mukesh, Glenny and little Francis.

The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

SPUP SPPF LE PEP SEEK HELP!

The SPUP/SPPF/Le Pep Party faced with the invasion of pirates from Somalia this year have used most of their diplomatic energy to seek find secure assistance from foreign nations to protect Seychelles territorial integrity.

Parade of Desperation

In a desperate move, President Michel sought aid of distant Japan when the first hostages were taken. He then sought the assistance of the French Embassy and France has embedded French marines with weapons on board the tuna boats that fish off the Somalia coast and the Seychelles. The French marines participated in the National Day June 18th parade and demonstrated their ability to march along side the Seychellois Coast Guard platoon. Unfortunately, President Michel going through the lowest support to date, had few people turn out for the parade except for the children of the enlisted watching on and some government officials.

We Must Welcome The AUV's

Most recently, the United States have rang in with support to place unmanned aerial vehicles in the line up to fight the pirates that threaten the safe passage of ships through and about the Gulf of Aden. The United States are sending 75 men to prepare the ground operations for the AUV drones which will be based in Seychelles, a highly strategic area to fight off pirates in the region. This represents the USA first military involvement in Africa since the debacle in Somalia under the Clinton administration days. Because lives are not placed in arms way, this effort is likely to prove very successful.

Say Thank You, SPPF Communists!

We must be grateful to the United States dealing Seychelles this favour and assistance in our hour of need. After all, this is the same United States that was practically kicked out of Seychelles by France Albert Rene, and James Michel himself, as they opted for Communist ideology and the close ties maintained with Communist Cuba, North Korea, USSR and China.

Yankee Save Our Communist Ass (Donkey)!

The Seychelles Government has been a regular at sound off calls internationally when it was time to do a little USA bashing. In the 1960's and 1970's the popular call led by Albert Rene and James Michel, was "Yankee Go Home"! Today they are calling, "Yankee save our Communist Ass (donkey)"!

Without the United States of America coming to our aid in our hour of need, Seychelles could be faced with an invasion of 2000 pirates when the Southeast Monsoon subsides. This is a reality that forced the Michel Administration to seek help from the United States of America.

USA Drones Will Save Tourism in Seychelles

The reality check for us is that if the United States would not have volunteered a fleet of drones to monitor Seychelles waters, our Tourism Industry would be all but sent to the intensive care unit (ICU) by the end of the year 2009 in spite of all the excellent work Mr. Alain St.Ange and Mr. Louis D' Offay's team are doing to clean up the morass left by SPPF after years of inertia. Our most important industry today still does not have a dedicated Minister under the SPPF! Same goes for the fishing sector which has been left to rot like an old “poisson sale”, along with the corruption and mismanagement that have dragged this sector into oblivion!

USA Drones Will Save The Fishing Industry in Seychelles

The French and Spanish Tuna fleet would leave Seychelles and make for fishing in safer waters and land their catch in safer ports. Our economy would all be done in. Poverty and crime would consume us as we head for the Failed States Club of Africa.

Now, with the material and significant United States intervention, Seychelles has a fighting chance to climb out of the doldrums of economic depression and debt unsustainability created by Michel himself and all his Communist free wheeling, which led him to believe that Seychelles could borrow money around the World and not ever have to repay it. SPPF Communist leader Albert Rene and stepson Glenny Savy were no better at managing the economy let alone the fishing sector.

I Warned SPUP,SPPF Before!

I wrote in numerous articles in the past that the Government of Seychelles must cut its military budget and allow/invite international forces to protect Seychelles territorial integrity through mutual assistance agreements. This idea was shunned upon and the SPPF People rag, tagged me as an extremist and non nationalist. Now what has happen is the same people have run to seek external assistance.

National Pride on a stomach full of food is fundamentally different from National Pride on a stomach full of air you Communists! As your communist stomachs came face to face with the reality of a stomach full of air, you went on your knees and came to your senses.

How much time and money have you wasted over the years SPUP, SPPF, PL? Even the Indian Navy sounded off in the National Day Parade and delivered Topaz again after another engine rebuild and a paint job you could not even afford. Seychelles should encourage more interaction with the Indian Navy, but this time do not shun India while you make a run with the begging bowl to China. Respect India for her might, presence and success as a Nation, as we respect China. Even when China does not respect us, for example, by building our National Assembly (Legislative Branch of Government) and Judiciary Building, both democratic houses of debate and law, when China has no democracy and is still a one party Communist state.

Most recently, the Military Budget ballooned from SCR. 82 Million to SCR.225Million for 2009. The excuse was for fuel consumption of patrol boats. But now this expenditure has lapsed and the United States will foot the bill to patrol Seychelles waters.

Now SPUP SPPF PL, why don't you reduce this budget and save the People of Seychelles some badly needed cash? Or perhaps it is your undeclared intention to use that money to fund the theft of another election? Or will the SPDF be using the funds to build new flats, or importing some containers of fridges, flat-screen TVs, washing machines and building materials?

Audit The Army and Coast Guard - Set Up Hotline For Abuse

I call on the Leader of The Opposition, Mr. Wavel Ramkalawan, to cause the establishment of proper procurement procedures within the Seychelles People's Defense Forces (SPDF).

I also call on the Leader of The Opposition, Mr. Ramkalawan, to not take SPUP SPPF LP words to be of much value, hence call for a audit of all funds given to the military, because it has been alleged and not denied or proved otherwise, that the military budget is nothing but a slush fund for the few, as many as two. It is not acceptable either for a military force to be writing “return to drawer” cheques in town.

Finally I ask the Leader of The Opposition to have the National Assmebly set-up a hotline to register information of abuse of funding and state resources. Push SPUP back in the holes of corruption and criminality that gave birth to them.

Welcome back Yankees, welcome back to your senses SPUP,SPPF, LP, but when it comes to the People's money, there is no compromise SPUP,SPPF,LP.

Audit the Defense Forces and let us find out who really owns all those big houses and apartments and businesses. Surely those measly Armed Forces salaries could not make some servicemen millionaires overnight!

Now that the Yankees are back SPUP, SPPF, LP, make sure no one lays their blood laden hand on me for my writing......I may have to contact my Congressman in Washington DC and he may have the drones sent back to Las Vegas.... and taxpayers money in USA will not be used to protect a bunch of corrupt Communists! Just remember Obama’s recent speech in Ghana. The world is now watching.

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