Following the recommendation of the Electoral Commission, President James Michel has declared Saturday 1st October 2011 a public holiday, to facilitate voting in the National Assembly elections on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue on that day.

Voters working on outlying islands will start going to the polls tomorrow and Friday. The main polling day in Saturday 1st October.

Two political parties, namely the ruling Parti Lepep(PL) and the newly formed Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), and an independent candidate in the Mont Buxton constituency, are contesting the elections for the next National Assembly.