Seychelles presidential election heads to runoff as Ramkalawan trails Herminie
Official results placed opposition candidate Patrick Herminie in the lead with 48.8 per cent, while incumbent President Wavel Ramkalawan followed closely with 46.4 per cent.
Seychelles will head to a presidential runoff after no candidate secured an outright majority in the first round, the electoral commission announced on Sunday. The commission did not specify the date for the second round.
The first round was conducted over three days, beginning with early voting on Thursday, September 25, and concluding on Saturday, September 27. According to media reports, most voters cast their ballots on the final day.
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Official results placed opposition candidate Patrick Herminie in the lead with 48.8 per cent, while incumbent President Wavel Ramkalawan followed closely with 46.4 per cent. Under Seychelles' electoral law, a candidate must secure more than 50 per cent of the vote to win in the first round.
Ramkalawan, seeking a second term, called for a debate with his opponent ahead of the runoff. "State House does not belong to me. The State House does not belong to you. The State House will always belong to the people of Seychelles," he said, according to the Associated Press.
Herminie, leader of the United Seychelles party, expressed confidence going into the second round. "The people are very unhappy with the way the country is being run," he said.
United Seychelles held power from 1977 until 2020, when it was defeated by Ramkalawan's Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS) party. Ramkalawan has campaigned on economic recovery, improved social services, and environmental sustainability.
The election unfolded against a backdrop of growing dissatisfaction with the government. A week before the vote, activists filed a constitutional challenge against a long-term lease of part of Assomption Island to a Qatari company.
The deal, which includes a luxury resort and airstrip redevelopment, has been criticised for prioritising foreign interests over national welfare and sovereignty.
Seychelles also faces mounting social challenges, including a worsening heroin addiction crisis. Independent analysts estimate that about 6,000 people—nearly 10 per cent of the population—are users.
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