The President of the Republic of Seychelles, Mr. James Alix Michel, has announced in a national televised address this evening, his intention to resign from his post on October 16th 2016.
On the same date next month Vice-President Danny Faure will be sworn in as the new President of the Republic of Seychelles.
President Michel thanked the people of Seychelles for their support and for the work they accomplished together in the development of the country.
“Many decisions were made this year. One of the decisions was the amendment to the Constitution to limit the terms of the President to two mandates. And tonight I am announcing my decision to resign from the post of President of the Republic,” President Michel said in the broadcast.
“I am leaving power, but I am not abandoning you. For me, power is not an aim in itself but a means to do good. To do good for our people. Together we did it, as much as the means and circumstances permitted us. The interest of the nation comes first… I am leaving the Office of the President with a sense of mission accomplished. During these 12 years that you gave me the honour and privilege to lead our nation, I have completed my responsibility and my duty.”
President Michel has already served two five-year terms and is about to complete 10 months in the third and final mandate. It was in April this year, after his re-election in December, that the National Assembly unanimously approved the constitutional amendment to limit the presidential and vice-presidential terms to two five-year mandates, down from three five-year terms.
According to the Constitution, the President may, by writing addressed to the Speaker of the National Assembly, resign from the Office of the President.
His letter will be sent to the Speaker tomorrow.
“After 12 years as President, the time has come to hand over the reins of power to a new leader. Parti Lepep will take Seychelles to the next frontier of its development. A new generation of Parti Lepep will stay in power. To face and overcome the challenges of this century, without abandoning our principles,” said President Michel.
The President asked the people of Seychelles to give Mr. Faure and his team the same support that they had given him in the last 12 years.
“I will always thank you, people of Seychelles, for your support. Thank you for your trust in me.…At the end of the day, there is nothing more important, more honorable, more noble, than national unity. Let us make national unity our priority. National unity will guide us in our action and illuminate the future of our country.”
Editor's Note
The full text of the President’s Address in Creole is below:
Pep Seselwa.
Mon oule, avantou, remersye tou Seselwa pour sa long vwayaz devlopman ki noun fer ANSANM. Nou ti pran Sesel lo en nivo, e ANSANM noun anmenn nou pei pli lwen. Nou fyer sa ki noun arrive fer ANSANM.
Mersi bokou.
In annan en kantite desizyon sa lannen. Enn parmi ti amannman lalwa pou limit manda Prezidan a 2 term. E tanto, mon anons zot mon desizyon pou demisyonen koman Prezidan Larepiblik e pran mon retret. . Konstitisyon Sesel i dir ki ler Prezidan i demisyonen, i fer li par en let ki i adres a Spiker Lasanble Nasyonal. Spiker a resevwar mon let demen.
Mon demisyon koman Prezidan pou pran lefe le 16 Oktob 2016, e en nouvo Prezidan pou sermante menm zour. Msye Danny Faure pou siksed mwan e termin sa 4-an ki reste dan mon manda, parey Lartik 55 (1) i otorize.
Ser konpatriyot,
Apre 12-an koman Prezidan, ler n’arive pou pas labar avek en nouvo dirizan. En nouvo zenerasyon Parti Lepep ki a gid Sesel ver en lot frontyer son devlopman. En nouvo zenerasyon Parti lepep ki pou reste opouvwar. Ki pou fer fas e sirmont defi sa syek, san abandonn nou bann prensip .
Ler n’arive pou mwan dir zot -- sirtou mon bann siporter fidel -- orevwar. Zot pou touzour dan mon leker. Avek bon souvenir.
Mon pe kit pouvwar, me mon pa pe abandonn zot. Pour mwan, pouvwar pa en bi dan limenm, me en mwayen pour fer dibyen. Dibyen pour nou pep. ANSANM noun fer li, otan ki mwayen ek sirkonstans ti permet nou.
Lentere nou nasyon i pas avan tou.
Mon kit prezidans Larepiblik avek en sans devwar akonpli. Pandan sa 12-an ki zot in akord mwan loner ek privilez pour diriz nou nasyon, monn akonpli mon responsabilite ek mon devwar. Monn kontinyen travay mon predeseser, Prezidan Rene, me dan mon prop stil. Monn redres lekonomi nou pei. Monn kree plis loportinite pour tou Seselwa, pour asire ki nou pei i kontinyen progrese. Monn met plis kondisyon anplas pour asir byennet bann dimoun pli vilnerab dan nou sosyete. Monn promouvwar loportinite pour lazenes pour donn zot plis lespwar, sirtou dan domenn antreprenarya. Nou paran aze pe benefisye avek en seri mezir pour asir zot plis konfor ek dinyite dan zot retret. Monn ekoute, monn konsilte. Monn pran mezir pour ranforsi nou bann lenstitisyon demokratik. Monn atak bann malez ek fleo ki pe ronz nou sosyete. Monn ranforsi nou limaz lo lasenn enternasyonal. Tousala -- e plis ankor -- mon pan fer mon tousel. Monn fer li an restan konekte avek zot, pep Seselwa. Monn fer li avek led ek kolaborasyon en lekip devoue e angaze, ki kwar dan lavenir Sesel. Tou desizyon ki noun pran i dan lentere Sesel, avantou. Nou lakonplisman i la.
Pep Seselwa,
Mon prezidans i en sapit dan listwar modern Sesel. Mon konsider mon prezidans koman en travay ki noun komanse ansanm. E noun fer bokou. Pour lanmour Sesel. Pour linite nou pei. Pour nou progre ek prosperite. Pour nou zanfan.
En nouvo dirizan -- enn ki konpetan e motive, ki li osi i annan lentere Sesel aker -- i komans prosen sapit nou listwar modern. Mon demann zot pour donn Msye Faure ek son lekip menm sipor ki zot in donn mwan pandan sa 12 dernyen lannen. Mon pou touzour remersye zot, pep Seselwa, pour tou zot sipor. Mersi pour zot konfyans.
Kantamwan, les mwan reasir zot ki mon pou toultan pare -- tan ki mon annan lafors – pou ofer Sesel mon servis dan nenport ki kapasite ki mon kapab e dan nenport ki kapasite ki zot swete.
Anfen, napa ketsoz ki pli enportan, pli dinny, pli nob, ki linite nasyonal. Annou rezet tou sa ki kree divizyon. Anou fer linite nasyonal nou priyorite. Se linite nasyonal ki pou gid nou dan nou aksyon, e ekler lavenir nou pei.
Pep Seselwa,
Ankor enn fwa, mon eksprim mon rekonesans, pour zot sipor.
Ki Bondye i kontinyen beni Sesel.
Mersi e bonswar.