The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

Hurdles To Rigging An Election Then A Coup?

I have written about the election process being a SHAM PROCESS in Seychelles politics in the past. As the leader of the MSR, a party that filed for registration with the Office of the Political Party Registrar and Electoral Commissioner, I have had a first hand personal impression of the state of mind of the Electoral Commissioner Mr. Hendricks Gappy. Those impressions, accumulated over a period of over Ten (10) months of seeking registration of our party, has given me a keen insight into his role in executing the election  process. Caveat Emptor, let the buyer beware!

Hendricks Gappy 

The Voters List

The Voters List is open for inspection Two (2) weeks out of each year during the last Two (2) weeks of January. While the List is open for inspection, you are allowed to verify your own name only, and cannot inspect the veracity of any other name on the List or district a person is registered. You also cannot raise an issue concerning whether a person is a bona fide citizen of Seychelles. This is taboo. Reason being, many naturalized citizens  have been granted citizenship while under Gainful occupation Permit (GOP) or never spent in residence, Five (5) years in Seychelles. They are in the thousands, after 34 years of dictatorship.

While the List is open for only Two (2) weeks, the caretaker of the List, in the past, Chief Voter Register, occupied his post all year round, making adjustments to the List year round, and not giving the Public any Notice of the changes he makes. There is no Notice by Publication of the changes, nor is there a publication of all the names in the Gazette or Nation.  The changes are made in secrecy, hardly a democratic practice. Parties get a copy of the Voters List, after the fact, after the changes have been made. The un-coding of the changes, is a monumental task to say the least without Notice of changes being made public.

This naturally allows the Chief Voter Register, under instructions from the Electoral Commissioner, an open opportunity to manipulate the Voters Lists as they choose. Who will monitor them year round? Answer: No one will and no one does.

From our interactions with the office, we have learned that no one in Election Commissioner’s office, takes a step without the approval of the Electoral Commissioner himself. When he says stagger and delay, the whole office structure comes to a stand still. When he says, move expeditiously, they do so.

In one instance, in a call from Gappy’s office they advised us that there were Seychellois (e) on our party members list that are not in the country, but they had departed Seychelles recently.  So what?

Are Seychellois who become members of a political party not free to exit and enter Seychelles as they please?

The answer is “it depends which party you belong to”. But the insight into this assertion is that they closely monitor entry and departure of citizens, on the List, and hence the opportunity for Voter List manipulation arises if there is collusion with a participating party or candidate and the Office of the Chief Registrar and Electoral Commissioner.

5,000 Fabrike Voters

In the Election of 2006, I met the Chief Registration Officer in the Domestic Car Park by coincidence. He was sitting on a car drinking beer, and a few Seybrew’s ( about Eight (8) ) were accumulated by a car tire. I asked him in passing, how are you, you seem like you are depressed? He replied and explained to me briefly, he cannot manipulate more then 5,000 votes on a Voter List. Beyond that, it becomes humanly impossible to control under the veil of secrecy. When he saw my eyes pop out, on the assertion, he changed subject, as if he had alerted me to a deeply held secret. He did, unless the Seybrew was doing all the talking. Ironically, the results of the last Election when PL faced a united opposition was not much more then 2,500 swing votes for a victory and the soldiers with AK-47’s had circles National Library while the vote results were being announced.

18 Year Old Citizen and Eligible To Vote

A key component of voting is that a Citizen has achieved the age of majority Eighteen (18) resides in Seychelles for the statutory period and can vote. This condition presupposes that a person will find their way to their respective polling stations on the day of the vote. If they are out of country, they will not be able to vote under the current system. If they are sick in bed or hospitalized, jailed, they will not be able to vote. The Electoral Commissioner goes to great lengths to insure that people are able to vote in the elections that otherwise would not be able to. Arguably this effort by his office is ultra vires of his scope of duty and goes beyond his mandate. We need to take a closer look at this effort.

Voting On Silhouette An Excursion That Can Open The Door For Voter Fraud

Emergency Services of the State are advised by the Electoral Commissioner, to submit a list of names to his office, to allow persons engaged in emergency services to vote on Silhouette or at National Library. This List is submitted very early in the process, allowing the possibility that the list can make its way into the hands of someone who would use it to rig an election if there is collusion at play. ID cards can be made in duplicate quickly, and puff, the emergency worker votes once at National House, then an imposter or self, can vote again in his District. The purple ink on the finger placed after a vote, I understand can be removed with the right chemical. With the right chemical, anything can be removed. If a party was executing a fraudulent election strategy, it is reasonable to assume, that they will get the right chemical to remove the ink from the voters fingers.  How many emergency workers will there be in an election? 1000, 2000, 3,000? How many times will they vote?

Naturally, the Commonwealth will not know who is an emergency worker, but local NGO’s would. The Commonwealth will just observe that voting is proceeding smoothly between visits to stations. If there is fraud, it is patent, and not viewable to the naked Commonwealth eye browsing from station to station on voting day. By co-incidence, local NGO’s have been excluded as Election Observers by the Electoral Commissioner, hence another nail in the coffin of credibility of the process.

Mahe Workers On Praslin Working

Last week the Electoral Commissioner sent out a letter to all hotels on Praslin, asking that they submit names of all workers from Mahe working on Praslin, early, again, to insure they are allowed to vote on Praslin. What is the Electoral Commissioner doing sending out letters to create a Master List of Mahe residents, working on Praslin? There is no statutory precedence that allows this. If there was statutory precedence, it is undemocratic.

This list is a micro composite grouping of the Voters List, a sub list created without the Public’s knowledge. It is illegal. How can one insure that such a list does not get into the wrong hands? We cannot of course, and that should be enough reason to be alarmed of the potential for rigging votes that can show SHAM elections are at play. Another nail into the coffin of credibility of the process.

Only last month we were told the Voters List is not credible yet, because 2,000 transfers had to be processed. These workers that must live on Praslin, they are not transfers? More nails to the coffin of credibility of the process.

A Glaring Conflict of Interest

We all know Mr. Gappy is appointed by James Michel who is a Presidential candidate. Gappy’s office used the Attorney General’s office to defend its case against MSR. Mr. Gappy did not seek independent consul to prosecute this case. The Attorney General is a State Consul at the service of the President of the Republic. This is a clear case of uncontested Conflict of Interest.

Michel (The Boss) & Gappy (The Worker)

If Gappy employed Mr. Boulle for all his affairs, and Mr. Boulle was a Presidential candidate, PL would stay silent? No. Another nail into the coffin of credibility to the process.  

The Mahe residents- Praslin workers list can have as much as another 1,000 voters on it.

The Electoral Commissioner should not be babying voters to the polling booth with this list and that list. It is a red flag.  Everyone should choose to either make their way to the voting booth or choose not to vote. In the National Assembly we have seen that ABSTENTION from voting is a recorded vote. If a person cannot vote for whatever reason, it is the luck of the draw. No voter should be assisted to vote, certainly not through supplemental lists. The balance of victory or defeat may well hinge on these lists.

Sheik Khalifa Pumps Millions and Hundreds of Millions Three (3) Weeks Before Elections

The UAE and Sheik Khalifa Bin Al Zayed Al Nayan, has been pumping Millions of US Dollars into projects days before the Presidential elections to insure that James Michel wins without a contest. This is now approaching $ 100 Million. If all else fails, and the Electoral Commissioner cannot deliver the desired results, the thinking appears to be that the money will seize the day for PL and James Michel.

Sheikh Khalifa - Influencing Seychelles Politics

The settlement for La Misere Delo kaka is over Sr. 80 Million, alone, including 37 houses at Petit Barbaron, where Rene resides, though there are only 17 houses there, and they do not get water from a contaminated source. Sheik Khalifa and Ascon seems to have been taken on a ride by PL on this settlement.

If the entire settlement is audited, one will stumble upon other irregularities.  In the end, the people really affected by the Tort will suffer the most and receive less then what they are entitled to.

People of Seychelles, open your eyes.

Call For Ethics Commission By Michel

To cover up the SHAM in play James Michel has called for an Ethics Committee Three (3) weeks before the elections. This is ridiculous. Such a Committee will just be a talk shop to keep the talkers busy for Michel. He will not attend and can use it as a smoke screen to go on shamming and rigging the elections to completion. Anyone that participates in such sham process is fooling themselves.

When All Else Fails, Just Do A Coup!

If the Voters List rig does not work, the Sheik Khalifa and UAE money does not help, and Michel does not get 50% plus One (1) vote, his past actions give you a reasonable indication of what his future course of conduct will be: “Just Do A Coup”. His latest book glorifies this stage of his life history, it made no excuses. In fact, he seems to give the impression that the Kalashnikov and AK-47 machine gun are mightier then a People, and perhaps a God like tool in as much as a few men (10 -15) with a Kalashnikov or AK-47 can shape history for generations to come.

James Michel (left, holding the machine gun) 

State House Informants royal to “Sesel Pou Seselwa” have advised us that Michel has met with Soldiers asking for their loyalty to him in the event an election does not go democratically in his favor.

But in 2011, Michel will find that is a very tall unreasonable order. Seychelles is still BANKRUPT under his leadership.

The International Criminal Courts (ICC) are putting soldiers on trial and dictators who use arms and force on their people to suffocate the freewill of the people. The lack of respect for the Right to Assembly, The Right to Freedom of Expression, The Right to Hold and Impart Belief‘s within dictator states like Seychelles, is causing an uproar in the international community through out the Middle East region and Africa.

ICC LOGO 

No Seychelles Defense Force soldier of sound mind will turn a weapon AK-47 on his people in this era. If they do, they must know that they will be held accountable before international courts and they will answer for crimes committed upon a civilian population.

What Will Happen To Michel?

If James Michel fails to get 50% plus One (1) vote, and someone else does, and he loses, and resorts to coup, we only have to look at His Ex- Excellency Dictator Hosni Mubarak to know what will happen to Michel.

After putting on a show of being larger then life, and accumulating over $70 Billion in wealth, Mr. Mubarak is currently sitting in a hospital- prison bed. After he was removed from power as Boss of Egypt, a little detail emerged: he was not 35 as he looked from frequent facelifts and Botox injections and he was living all along because he was under special medication, having to take a little tiny heart pill once a day. Once deposed, he had no reason to live, so he stopped taking the little heart pill, voluntarily, in order that he not face charges for corruption and murder of his own people.

What About SNP , NDP, Boulle and etc?

Do they believe the process is rigged? No.

Do they believe the Elections are a SHAM? No.

Do they believe Michel will likely stage a Coup if he loses? No.

Do they believe Mr. Gappy is a trusted independent Electoral Commissioner of Elections ? Yes, they are falling in line under his tutelage one by one not even united as one opposing force.

People of Seychelles, open your eyes, BOYCOTT Sham Elections, and do not be part of this un credible process that SNP and NDP will help to make credible for the benefit of he who rigs elections like a master of the AK- 47 he is.

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

Seychelles' violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

PRESS RELEASE 

Seychelles' violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

Geneva, 29th April 2011 - For more than 17 years the Seychelles has been avoiding the scrutiny of the United Nations Human Rights Committee by refusing to submit its initial report, due in August 1993.

On 21st March 2011, the UN Human Rights Committee therefore reviewed the Seychelles' in the absence of a State report. The State also failed to take advantage of the Human Rights Committee's invitation to attend the session and engage in a dialogue with the Committee members. The Committee therefore discussed the human rights situation on the Seychelles in a completely private meeting. The Committee's recommendations (Concluding Observations) are private and confidential, pending responses from the State.

It is crucial that the refusal to cooperate with the Human Rights Committee be raised during the Universal Periodic Review of the Seychelles on 4th May 2011. The State Party must be reminded that in ratifying the ICCPR it undertook to submit regular reports and to cooperate with the Human Rights Committee. Failure to do so not only prevents the effective monitoring of the situation with regard to civil and political rights but is also, in itself, a violation of article 40 of the ICCPR. "Furthermore the flagrant disregard for one provision must raise doubts about the State's commitment to implementing the other articles of the ICCPR, making it even more important that the situation be reviewed," said Peggy Brett from the Centre for Civil and Political Rights.

In the context of the review by the Human Rights Committee a coalition of national NGOs produced a report in cooperation with the Centre for Civil and Political Rights. The report is available from the  Centre for Civil and Political Rights' website. 

For more information see the Centre for Civil and Political Rights website or contact us.  

Letter to President Michel from Christopher Gill

LETTER FROM CHRISTOPHER GILL TO PRESIDENT JAMES MICHEL - SEYCHELLES

Christopher Gill

Leader of MSR Seychelles

James Michel

President of Seychelles

*********

April 12^th, 2011

The President of the Republic of Seychelles

Mr. James Alix Michel

State House

Victoria

Mahe

Re: Growing Incidents of Attacks and Violent Actions on MSR Members and Activists

Dear Mr. Michel:

I am writing to you concerning the growing incidents of violent attacks, threats and intimidation that I believe emanate from your Administration, on myself, members of the MSR and our assets.

The incidents now show a consistent pattern that can only be attributed to State action. I am putting you on Notice of these incidents, as President of The Republic of Seychelles and ask that you take immediate and meaningful steps to stop this pattern of violence that undermines the fabric of our society and curtails tolerance and Freedom of Expression that is necessary for democracy to exist in a country.

Pattern of Attacks While MSR Makes Judicial Appeals

As you well know the MSR has been refused participation in the upcoming elections. We are making the necessary judicial appeals for our case and we have called for a General BOYCOTT of the upcoming elections, because we believe, that when  any Seychellois is denied participation in the political

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process, the promises of pluralistic democracy are not kept, and the People are not given a true opportunity to choose their leaders and the future course

of the Nation. When this happens, it is our position that SHAM ELECTIONS are at play.

Coupled with an appointed Electoral Commissioner, by yourself a presidential candidate, and the restrictive inspection process of the Voters List, it is our belief that the upcoming elections as in fact a SHAM ELECTION and the results cannot be deemed “credible”, in spite of what any government official or International Observer may say to the contrary.

Furthermore, by denying any party the right to participate in the Presidential Elections, they cannot by definition be “Free” or “Fair”. Blockage of a party by using a One Party State law is not consistent with pluralistic democratic process. I believe you have blocked our participation to deny us access to the general population through SBC because you know that “Sesel Pou Seselwa”, is what every Seychellois fundamentally believes in.

During this time of Judicial Appeal, I call on you to take meaningful steps to leave MSR members and activists and myself alone, to allow us to take meaningful steps to exhaust the judicial process of determining the rights of the Party to exist. We demand that we be permitted to function free from any State sponsored, endorsed or encouraged violence or intimidation. 

The Appeal will include an eventual case being brought to the International Human Rights Courts, if we are unsuccessful within the Seychelles Judiciary system. Such as appeal is well within our rights, as Seychelles is a signatory to the United Nation Charter of Fundamental Human Rights. Judge Karunakaran failed grossly, to take Judicial Notice of the International Human Rights treaties Seychelles is a signatory party . This can take years to reach finality in judgment.

In the meantime, many MSR members want to be part of the political process in Seychelles. Hence, I have encouraged them to form another party, which will present the Fourth (4^th) Submittal that materially amended the MANIFESTO of MSR that neither Mr. Hendrick Gappy was willing to

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consider, and Mr. Ronny Govinden, Attorney General, refused to permit as evidence in the Supreme Court Case. Judge Karunakaran , did not consider

the Fourth (4^th )Submittal as evidence, which I have tendered to the Commonwealth Observers when I met them last month, to give a full and complete picture of the MSR’s efforts and intentions which are  well within the process.

Break –In At MSR Office Docklands

On October 30^th, 2010, the MSR office was broken into at Docklands. All our documents were taken, along with campaign materials, Three (3) computer laptops, USB drives, we believe bugs were placed in the office and viruses set in our tower computer hard-drives. Cartoons were taken, manifestos were taken from the office, and the office was ransacked.

A Police Report was made, but no follow up investigation ever took place.

Fingerprints were taken, but no report of the results were ever made available to us.

Seychelles is a small place, and we quickly came upon information that corroborated these actions with State House agents who apparently were acting under your direct instructions.

I call on you to take steps to stop these break ins into our office. We have a right to have an office, collect documents and information and function as an entity or even individual. This office will now house a newspaper company SESELWA Publication, which took Four (4) months to register.  The MSR logos will remain in place, until the International Human Rights Court renders a ruling on MSR right to exist as a Political party in Seychelles.

Attempted Murder of Anthony Battin December 14^th, 2010

Anthony Battin, an MSR activist was chased down with hand gun 9mm by Jemmy Marengo, a State House agent, according to a Police Report filed in December 2010. This report was filed with the Human Rights

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Commissioner, Miss Dora Zatte. Unfortunately, Miss Zatte never replied to this Report. The office has gone silent apparently under your instructions.

I know you do not hold  affectionate relations with Mr. Battin that are clearly understandable under the circumstances of Mr. Battin being sentenced for a life term for a crime involving a victim, close to you.  But Mr. Battin has been pardoned by F.A. Rene, as President.

 We both know well, why Mr. Battin was pardoned.

This being the case, he has a right to live, and a right to hold beliefs, and political convictions. Mr. Battin also has a right to freely associate with any one or group he chooses. I ask that your office take meaningful steps to insure that Mr. Battin’s rights as a Citizen of Seychelles, are protected, and insured from further threats by State House thugs. This type of conduct is wholly unacceptable in any democratic country.

A second attempted murder of Mr. Battin took place two years prior by State House agents, which is recorded at the Police Station. We have posted this report as well. Nothing has been done by your Administration.

As a person who lived through the international isolation of the One Party State era, you know better then I, that once the cloth of democracy has shed, a Nation takes down a road of perpetual helplessness.

I ask you, as President of Seychelles, to not take Seychelles down this road. The culture of tolerance can best be cultivated from the position you hold. Similarly, it can be destroyed just as effectively, from your position.

Harassment By State House Agents at STC

On December 20^th, 2010, at STC, Victoria, Anthony Battin was harassed by one of your State Security Agents, in a Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 licensed S6572. This vehicle is consigned to your body guard brigade.

I call on you, to order your men to leave MSR activist alone and stop attempting to foment fear and intimidation with the threat of violence in our country, through your agents. We expect a written apology from the men

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involved and their commitment that they will stop using such tactics in the future.

Seychelles Police Detention and Beating of Jean Paul Isaac 

In December  30^th, 2010, Police at the Port Glaud Police station, detained without cause, and beat our Political Affairs Officer  while in custody Mr. Jean Paul Isaac. We filed a report with the Human Rights Commissioner

Miss Dora Zatte and received a reply advising us to pursue the matter before the Courts of Seychelles. Your Administration received a copy of this report, and no effort has been made overtly to settle this case amicably. The conduct of your Administration reflects a pattern of knowing of abuses taking place, remaining silent on them, then let the victims expend all their energy to seek justice over a period of years through the court process.

 If the judgments are piecemeal, that will discourage citizens from seeking redress for abuse. Hence, the status quo will remain, the country will digress, the rule of force, and violence, will prevail in Seychelles. 

This type of course of action would be commendable in a dictatorship, Mr. Michel, but in a Democracy, which you say we live in, it is a disgraceful mode of Administration.

I call on you, to instruct  your Police Commissioner to enter into negotiations to settle this case of  Police abuse. Mr. Isaac is entitled to a proper redeeming settlement and the Officers that beat Jean Paul Isaac and detained him, must be reprimanded and duly suspended from the Police Force by your Administration.

Refusal of Registering of Human Rights Organization

The Registrar of Associations, which is under the Office of the President of Seychelles, that is your office, refused to register a Human Rights Organization filed on  January 2011.                    .

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This refusal to respect the right of a group of Citizens to defend and enhance Human Rights in Seychelles, after we have lived through Seventeen (17) years of pluralism and made little progress in Human Rights, is disgraceful, on the part of your Administration. 

As you know, the Seychelles has not filed any Human Rights Country Assessment Reports to be in compliance with International Human Rights Conventions which the Republic is a party . In March 2011, we faced an international tribunal for non compliance in filing reports for numerous successive years.

As this matter is before your office, I call on you to take meaningful steps to correct this gross disrespect for the value of citizens in society. If a Citizen is held beneath the heels of the State, we do not have a Democracy, Mr. Michel, we have a Dictatorship.

This unfortunately, is a fundamental tone that your Administration has not addressed, which, you have inherited from the F.A. Rene Administration. 

You must change course, for Seychelles to make meaningful progress and prosperity in the future. Your advisers will not tell you this because they do not have the courage to keep you well informed. They do not make a correlation between the drastic drop in FDI from 2009-2011 ($2 Billion - $140 Million) and factor the lack of apparent democratic practice in place, as a condition precedent  for investors.

 If you do not change course, this situation will get worse.  

Whatever corrections your office would like to make concerning our Human Rights Organization Memorandum application, advise us, we will consider your comments and make amendments if they are reasonable. The letter rejecting the Human Rights Organization was silent on the “reason” citing only a section of the Land Registration Act is absurd at best.  

I call on you to have the Registrar of Association to rectify this malaise and see to it that the Human Rights Organization I filed, is so registered. The

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respect for Human Rights, and respect for democracy and individual rights is a cornerstone, to societal advancement and empowerment of the citizen.

Arson on my Property Praslin

On March 9th 2011 an arson engulfed a garage on my business premises Praslin, destroying internal vehicles used for my hotel operation. The arson being set on my premises is consistent with information we have received from State House Informants loyal to “Sesel Pou Seselwa”, who advise us that it is your intent that these acts are so committed in order to discourage me and others from following up on our ambition to form a political party in Seychelles.

This information is highly corroborative with the statements made by Attorney General Ronny Govinden in court, Hendricks Gappy the Political Parties Registrar who both have insisted that MSR must not exist, and we must be stopped from being part of the political life of Seychelles. Hence, there is a common stream of thinking in your Administration, that can only emanate from you, Mr. Michel as the parts of a body, take instructions from the head. It is foolish to think that the toes of a human, would be in charge of its brain.

MSR Vehicle Is fired With Live Ammunition

One month after the arson, on April 7^th, 2011, our truck was fired upon by allegedly as per reports by State House agent, named Danny Alcindor.  Mr. Alcindor has a dubious reputation and is consigned to Vehicles Section of the NDEA. I have been advised by State House informant he retains close

relations with you and operates under direct orders from you to conduct covert activity of a dubious nature. If he is in the Vehicles section, he should not be carrying a hand gun.

The replacement cost of this windshield is Sr. 15,000.00. We have filed corresponding Police reports, and we expect you to rise above these petty incidences and see some finality to these incidents.

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As President of Seychelles, it is incumbent on you, to discourage acts of violence, particularly when they emanate from your own staff. There is a developing pattern to these incidents, and they are all well recorded and detailed.

I ask that you denounce violence, arson and threats of force on any Seychellois Citizen at this time. Additionally, I ask that you take steps as a man of simple decency to rectify the harm caused by your agents upon my people and the MSR.

I shall be publishing this letter in whole, and copy all Embassies, and all Human Rights Organizations internationally.

Finally, I ask humbly, that you publish a list, once and for all, of all persons who obtained Citizenship while under Gainful Occupation Permit ( GOP) or purchased Passports, under your Administration and F. A. Rene Administration, as this is the root of many of our grievances.

The time for action to solidify our democracy is now. To live in a dream world that we are still in a one party state, but have the window dressing of a democracy will only bear us all  bitter fruit that you will be accountable for.

Sincerely,

                                       

Christopher Gill

Seychelles Cartoon - The not so Supreme Court of Seychelles

The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

More Scandalous Transactions For Eden Island

The Nouveau Seychelles Weekly newspaper has reported in its March 31^st 2011 issue, that a scandalous deal was done between the Seychelles Pension Fund and Eden Island to prop up the fledging if not failing project when all market forces clearly indicate that this development project should have been bankrupt by now.

Eden Island 

Khalifa To Buy Out Eden Island?

Reports have been coming in weekly that Sheik Khalifa Bin Al Zayan Al Nayan has sent a delegation to Eden Island to negotiate a buy out, one that could assure Craig Heeger another life saving handout as the Eden Island development takes on a tsunami of woes.

Sheikh Khalifa 

These reports have not been confirmed or denied by Craig Heeger. More recently, Eden Island was given a helping hand by Danny Faure, Vice-President and Minister of Finance for Seychelles and who also held the annual Chairman post of PTA Bank when the regional bank gave Eden Island a $10 Million loan 6 months ago.  

Craig Heeger (right) 

PTA Bank is the Preferential Trade Area Bank, a trade and development financial institution in Africa and is the financial arm of COMESA.  Ironically, the other pet project that received finance from PTA Bank was Felicite Island or Zil Pasyon, a villa development project being developed by Albert Rene’s stepson Francis Savy under the name “Zil Pasyon”.  

Felicite Island - now known as Zil Pasyon

Francis Savy - Albert Rene's Stepson

This is a 570 acre island that belonged to the people of Seychelles but was mysteriously transferred overnight from the Government of Seychelles to a private company for a measly Seychelles Rupee.  After a similar SR 1 rupee transfer of St. Anne Island to the same Francis Savy over a decade ago, the more recent Felicite Island transaction is just another scam by the corrupt Government of Michel and Rene in our beloved paradise.  Such scams have cost the People of Seychelles hundreds of millions of Dollars in lost revenue and confirm to the entire world that corruption and nepotism are still rife in Seychelles today.

Vijay Eden Coming Up

Most of the Eden Island money from the PTA Bank facility has gone to pay off what is owed to Vijay Construction and Engineering, the main building contractor on the Eden Island project.

Eden Island 

Vijay Patel for his part, has brilliantly played his cards with Craig Heeger of Eden Island who now appears to be looking like an investor without enough money for a grand idea conjured up in the days of unlimited bubbles. But after bubbles, troubles always follow.

Contractor Vijay Patel 

It appears Craig Heeger just had a scheme in hand with his salesmanship skills, and Vijay has now ended up in full control of the Commercial Retail Complex which is under construction, as well as ownership of a string of villas, plus control of the second Marina to be built shortly.

The Commercial Complex was Heeger’s crown jewel to generate high rents and steady turnover from retail sales.

The first Eden Island Marina, under management and ownership of Hunt Deltel and Company, has been experiencing flagging business activity and the once bullish presence of new yachts every week has ended. 

Pension Scheme Scam

Seychelles Weekly confirms that the James Michel Party Lepep administration authorized an interest-free Pension Scheme loan to Eden Island for SR 109 Million. This scandalous misuse of retirement funds of the workers of Seychelles was not so much an investment but rather a pure bailout for the project and basically cheap finance to friends in high places.

It confirms why the Government of James Michel authorized the licensing of Eden Island as a hotel when it was limited to residential use in its original project memorandum. The Government of James Michel was already secretly out on the limb to keep Eden Island afloat.

Hide The Deal

The Pension Scheme transaction was never made public. It is unclear if a Board Resolution of the Pension Scheme, run by SPPF stalwart Willie Confait was ever made.  

Willie Confait shaking Michel's hand 

Willie Confait is close friends with Vice-President Danny Faure and swears allegiance to the party in power. It is not believed that he is astute enough to conduct an arms length transaction with Eden Island if Danny Faure had not been edging him along to offer Pension Fund money to Eden Island. In fact, it is the very reason why Willie Confait was moved from Seychelles Licensing Authority (SLA) to the Pension Fund.  Just get a trustworthy “yes-man” friend into the Pension Fund office, which controls large reserves of cash,  and voila!  One can now have access to all the cash one needs to fund secretive projects.  Seychellois people must not forget that many years ago, the same Pension Fund cash was used in an underhanded transaction to buy large amounts of Seychelles Breweries shares at an enormous premium from high-level Government officials linked to Mukesh Valabhji, Managing Director of the infamous Seychelles Marketing Board (SMB) and close confidante of ex-President Rene.

Willie Confait (left) 

IMF Must Wake Up To These Scams

It is imperative, that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) pull the files and books of the Pension Scheme and get to the bottom of this gross abuse of Public funds to prop up a failing project such as Eden Island.

The abuse clearly highlights that Eden Island is not playing on the same playing field as the rest of the real estate agents in Seychelles, nor local developers, nor the tourism and boating industries. Eden Island somehow enjoys special conditions, favours and privileges not afforded to other businesses in Seychelles.  All doted onto them by Presidents current and past, the Vice-President and Ministry of Finance as well as many other high-ranking Government officials. 

Eden Island seems to have a special gold card that allows them to get away with scams like the Pension Scheme loan scam. Why could not the Pension Scheme loan this money to the DBS or set up bond schemes to raise money for the Seychelles International Airport, to improve our infrastructure that would benefit the entire Tourism Industry at a reasonable interest rate?  Why did they not offer the funds to local investors at low interest rates?

It is quite clear that this recent scam reveals to us that some high-ranking and high-profile “players” are really behind Eden Island. And in Seychelles, big players come from the Communist Party Lepep Party.  Buyers are put on notice. Craig Heeger is playing a game of hiding some big worms, behind the name Eden Island. Sooner or later, the worms will surface. When the worms are exposed, the whole scheme will come apart. Values of Eden properties will drop, if they have not already.

Eden Island Charity

As Eden Island fails, it will become a charity organization for the People of Seychelles, through dubious loans and Pension Scheme scams. This clearly shows, Eden Island will go down, and it will take the PL and Government of Seychelles with it.

 

But the madness of this transaction goes further. At a time when Government Bonds were paying 30% interest, the Eden Island Pension Scheme Fund scam of Sr. 109 Million, was interest free. Does this make any sense at all to the Pension Scheme investors, the workers of Seychelles?

Where in the World can a business developer get $$15 Million - $20 Million interest free?  Seychelles Weekly goes on to say the loan is unsecured. What kind of madness is this? Either Weekly has lost its marbles, or Heeger did not have any marbles. What kind of foreign investor comes to Seychelles and raids the Pension Fund with an interest free loan? That is not called investing. It is called something else. FRAUD! Or maybe the foreign investor is intricately linked to local investors!

Name and Shame Pension Fund Directors

In addition to the IMF investigating this scam, I firstly call on the People of Seychelles, to require that the Board of Directors of Pension Scheme make public the minutes from the meeting where the loan was approved and clearly expose the names of all Board members who supposedly approved and was involved in this loan.

 

Overpriced monstrosity - another of Seychelles Pension Fund White Elephant project

Secondly, I call on the People of Seychelles, to shame them by DEMANDING their immediate unconditional removal from their posts. Legal action if necessary must be taken and any damages incurred such as lost interest must be refunded by these board members.

Thirdly, this event must be shown on the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation Television station (SBC-TV) during prime time news at least 5 times.  As much as we hate the show “A moment with the President”, whom my 4 year old calls the REPEAT MAN because he repeats himself in interviews over and over again and again, I ask that the President comes on TV and tells the people of Seychelles if he believes the Pension Fund loan was legal.  While he is at it, he can tell us what he is doing to curb corruption and nepotism in our country SESEL.

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

Christopher Gill

The Seychelles Column - By Christopher Gill

Seychelles Has To Kill Fear!                  

Part One

The Road Says It All

Last year, when the residents of La Misere went to the streets of Kennedy Road, to protest and exercise their right to Peaceful Assembly and their Right to Peaceful Expression and Protest, which is protected under the UN Charter of Fundamental Rights and the Seychelles Constitution Charter of Fundamental Rights, agents of the State, allegedly set fire to the garage and car of Lydia Jumeau, a key activist protest leader at La Misere against the tort committed by Sheikh Khalifa Bin al Zayed al Nayan,UAE and his contracting agents and Government of Seychelles. 

Sheikh Khalifa

Protesters at La Misere's Kennedy Road

Lydia Jumeau’s car was burnt to ashes and soon after, the Minister of Home Affairs and Security, a newly formed Ministry went to the SBC to say enough with protests in the streets. They did not mention the neighboring arson that took place.  

Lydia Jumeau's car burnt by arsonists  

Minister Morgan’s interview was followed by the Commissioner of Police on SBC, saying that force will be used, if the protestors took to the streets again. Protestors already faced down tear gas and AK-47’s once. The Commissioner looked as if he was losing patience as told to look, by the Minister.

 

Joel Morgan ponders over new falsehoods to cover up his shit...

Force was not used, because the protestors did not take to the streets again. They had been put back in their box by fear tactics on part of the Government of Seychelles, PL.

It is Illegal To Protest

These tactics are the same used in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago by the ruling family. First came a press release, stating that protests are outlawed in Saudi Arabia.

Then came a warning of use of force if protest takes place. Then the protest took place and no force was used. Fear had been killed by the people themselves. There will be more to come. Everyday protests around the Middle East increase, in a region of the World, where until recently, protesting was illegal.

Movement To Kill Fear!

The movement to kill FEAR is being done all over the region. In Bahrain, fear is dead. As it died, the Al Khalifa royal family has been asked to step down. They are looking for a way out. The GCC group sent troops into Bahrain similar as UAE will do with its troops this year, as they take over a Coast Guard base.

The Al Khalifa family protects the BMI offshore bank that has been doing funny deals in Victoria, Seychelles. Once fear is dead, there is only one way out, through the door for good Dictators do not and cannot look back.

In Egypt, the people there were referred to as the “cowards of the Middle East” for generations. This coward title came from the Egyptians allowing Mubarak to amass over $70 Billion in wealth and suppress free speech and democracy and individual rights through the control of the masses under State Security ministry. Today, Egyptians are the  heroes of the free world as a Google executive of Egyptain nationality took time out to coordinate the successful protests using Facebook, Blogs, Twitter. His efforts coordinated the strategy to bring down a regime that had a whole population on its knees for generations.

Seychelles has many parallels in the DNA of its dictatorship as these tyrants in the Middle East that are coming down daily. Last year Minister Jean Paul Adam, hosted a cocktail to honour Col. Muammar Gaddafi and referred to him with terms of endearment and affection as Michel’s “Brother Gaddafi”.

 

Pictures speak louder than words.. bye bye Brother Gaddafi

The situation in Tunisia with Ben Ali, a dictator like James Michel, has many similar experiences to Seychelles. There, they held housing, jobs, individual empowerment over the heads of the population to the point that one man could not earn a living selling fruits on the road side.

 Protesters in Egypt

This happened at Roche Caiman with our fishermen and along the streets of Seychelles everyday. In Tunisia this man, a fruit vendor set himself on fire before authorities and he set a revolution for democracy in the Middle East alight, forever. Ben Ali is gone, his villas have been broken to pieces and turned into souvenirs, bit by bit. SBC will have to find another country to source cameras from.

Let’s Talk About October 3^rd 2006

On October 3^rd, 2006, Wavel Ramkalawan , the Leader of Opposition and Jean Francois Ferrari, MNA were beaten with truncheons at the precincts of the National Assembly. Since that incident, the SNP have gone into a shell when the word protest is raised. I wrote my heart out defending Ramkalawan and Ferrari during this event. However, they seem to have ignored that effort and the effort of all those who defended them.

Jean-Francois Ferrari & Ramkalawan beaten to a pulp.

These two people went to court and sought out meager financial judgments that actually reduce the value of human life in Seychelles, when compared to other modern democratic societies.

These victims of October 3^rd, need to know that when a people must face a dictatorship, such actions are normal and we must be prepared to counteract such responses. When an oppressor beats you, hurts you, it is not the proper course of action to remain silent and change your ways so you do not exercise your rights in order that you may not be beaten again. When you do that, the oppressor wins, you lose, your cause is defeated.

Today, SNP is taking on a new strategy of silence in the opposition. They no longer walk out of the Assembly, they say they do not believe in protest, nor do they believe in a united opposition front to remove the dictatorship, which they now refer to as Whip party, of a Democracy.  

Michel Says Protest Is Bad

We all know the oppressor will tell you, protest is bad, not good and harmful to society, but you need to know that Ben Ali said the same thing to his people to keep them silent. Hosni Mubarak said the same thing to allow him to amass $70 Billion in personal wealth. Col. Gaddafi, denounced peaceful protest, like Rene did in the 1980’s: use of force, mercenaries, foreign troops, jail, exile, murder.

The  Libyan crisis has shown us that today, the International Criminal Court (ICC) will charge a leader and his agents for crimes and use of force upon their own people. The international community can no longer remain silent when citizens have mobile and digital cameras in hand. The crimes similar to Rwanda genocide, wherein a government is permitted to kill their own people is over.

Egypt showed us that the Army must not take and follow orders to use force against their own people. This thinking is found in the MSR manifesto. The Seychelles Defense Forces, as well, must never follow an order to use force against Seychellois. If they do, they may end up before the International Crimes Court (ICC) facing charges. The precedence is being set right now in Libya as I pen this article.

SNP Stop Opposing After October 3^rd, 2006

Victimization did not stop on October 3^rd,2006. It has continued. How many victims do we have after October 3^rd, 2006? We do not recall them if they are not in our party, SNP?

The job of the Opposition did not end on October 3^rd, 2006. But in fact, we have an Opposition under SNP that practically went to sleep after October 3^rd, 2006. It is for this reason that we must remember October 3^rd, 2006.

After October 3^rd,2006, an opposition Alliance was broken, Frank Elizabeth was thrown out of the Assembly line up, meetings at State House ensued with Ramkalawan, Ferrari Michel. The list is endless, the promises broken are as endless, yet they are not even in power.

The World Has Evolved 

The World has evolved. The internet today, makes an act by any state authority viewable for the whole World. Facebook debates issues today that would have had you in jail and tied to wire in a dark room until your toes and fingers were severed in the One Party State. But the reality is, the Dictator cannot roll back the evolution of the power of the individual in our society today.

Damndra Eulentin (left) - murdered by State House Killers 

The Dictator can only buy time with FEAR tactics and cajole the lead opposition into submission to give him the credibility he needs to survive.

 Albert Rene and James Michel - The real Seychelles terrorists

The Dictator can only fall back on FEAR and TERROR as a tactic for the rest of us who do not give it credibility.

If the people challenge dictators intelligently in unity of purpose, they will crumble like paper airplanes heading into a dustbin of history. They will go, because that is the DNA of dictatorships. They are meant to go.

 

Murders of Seychellois citizens under the SPPF regime

Gerard Hoarau - assassinated in London by the Rene Government

Attack of Arson

According to the Seychelles Fire Brigade, the amount of fires that are arson related is highly alarming in Seychelles today. Last year, it cost SR 7 Million to put out fires.

In 2010 this figure jumped to SR 22 Million. In 2011 with current trends, wherein more fires have been set in three months of 2011 than all of 2010, is to be exponential. Our country is being destroyed one fire at a time.

While this is done, FEAR and TERROR is being replanted, one family at a time, one spectator at a time.

Last week, fire engulfed a vehicle transport shed at my residence and hotel. The culprit wanted to spread fear and terror in the hearts of the victims.

Fire at Gill's property - A victim of arson

My three (3) year old girl cried, as she saw the orange flames consume the shed in the darkness of the night burning her mobile motor scooter.

My ten (10) year old son cried as his bicycle turned to ashes and bent metal. The culprit spread fear and terror in the hearts of two (2) little Seychellois children. But these children are being raised to be strong, to face FEAR eye to eye, to look down TERROR  as it comes and to have the will to crush it, like a paper plane.    

To the culprit, I will not write less as you intended I do from your tactics of Fear and Terror.

I will not cower to hide from you. I will use my pen to expose you and all you stand for.

I will use my pen, to rid Seychelles, of all who are like you. We know you are there, and we know you are a seed of a Dictator, who cause countless suffering in the lives of thousands of Seychellois in the past and thinks he can do this today in Seychelles, successfully. He has already failed.

We Seychellois, must wear the badge that we were born to wear as Seychellois and become one People:

SESEL POU SESELWA!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

MSR PRESS RELEASE

                                                      31.03.11 

Justice Karunakaran of the Supreme Court of Seychelles has slammed the case for MSR registration in a judgment on March 30, 2011 that turned Seychelles back to the One Party State.

Judge Karunnakaran

In attendance for MSR was Christopher Gill, leader, Jean Paul Isaac, Political Affairs Officer, Allen Comettant, and a few Ex SNP supporters who applauded when Gill called for a GENERAL BOYCOTT of Elections while being interviewed on SBC. Stay home he said, our passive absence will be the first step to remove the PL communists who are selling our country.

In attendance for the Registrar of Political Parties was Attorney General Ronny Govinden. Mr. Hendrick Gappy was absent.

Ronny Govinden

SBC was present and interviewed Gill after the decision. Mr. Gill said, the judgment was a gross travesty to democratic values enshrined in the Constitution of Seychelles. It is a massacre of Individual Rights. Under this decision, we must think according to what the STATE says, we can think. We must believe, what the STATE says we can believe. We must express, only what is approved by the STATE.

Seychelles under this judgment is for everyone in the World, and anyone can claim to be a Seychellois. Our next president can be a Taliban or a member of the Gaddafi clan sent into exile. They will all be permitted to participate in the politics in Seychelles, but Seychellois will be restricted. Mr. Gill said that he will continue to educate the people of Seychelles on the principles of “SESEL POU SESELWA”, which is the founding principle of the Republic, and must never be set aside. When we bury “SESEL POU SESELWA”, he said, we bury the future of the coming generations of our children, and their children.

Mr. Gill said the Judge made erroneous comments without basis, to infer that MSR is a racist organization. Gill highlighted that MSR profess to be superior to no race. We include all races, from Europeans, African decent, Indian decent, Chinese decent. In Seychelles, we are a melting pot of a unique people. 

MSR will consult counsel and move this case now to the Constitutional Court and possibly to the Court of Appeals to consider legality of the Political Parties Registration act itself.

What is clear in the judgment is that the learned Judge has little at best or no understanding, most likely, of Constitutional Law.

In the first instance, MSR Manifesto cannot be unconstitutional as it is not the STATE . Constitutional violation can be attributed only to the STATE and not to a private party.

Secondly, beliefs cannot be held to be crimes, as they are only ideas.

On the matter of incitement for revolution, Gill said the Learned Judge never questioned this issue. He had taken the term revolution to mean armed revolution when MSR was actually using the internet revolution to educate people on “Sesel Pou Seselwa”. In that context, we have facebook, twitter, blogs, You-tube as effective tools, Gill said.

Unless this Judgment is overturned, Justice Karunakaran has sent us back to the One Party State and democracy in Seychelles will remain static and not evolve to empower our people.