President Danny Faure and Vice-President Vincent Meriton met today with the Leaders of the National Assembly, in the first of a series of meetings aimed at promoting a smooth and collaborative working relationship between the Executive and the Legislature.

Present at the meeting were Hon Patrick Pillay, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon Wavel Ramkalawan, the Leader of the Opposition, and Hon Charles de Commarmond, Leader of Government Business in the National Assembly.

The principal focus of today's meeting was to consider the items of legislation that Government would be submitting to the Assembly during the course of 2017.

Priority would be given to amendments to the Constitution.  Among these would be amendments to Article 55 (1) which relates to the vacation of office by a President.

Another amendment would review the structure and the manner of appointment of Members and Chairperson of the Constitutional Appointments Authority.

Institutional reform within the National Assembly itself would be considered.

Amendments to the structure of the Electoral Commission were also proposed, as well as measures to strengthen the Anticorruption Commission.

The setting up of an independent Public Service Commission would also be proposed.

Among other important items of legislation would be amendments to the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation Act, and the Seychelles Media Commission Act, to strengthen their independence and powers.

It was agreed that in future, the Budget for the following year would be approved by Government in October, and the Appropriation Bill would be submitted to the National Assembly in early November, so that there would be sufficient time to approve budget proposals before the end of the year.

The leaders of the Assembly also took the opportunity to raise a number of other matters, including the prisons programme on Mahé and the outer islands.

The President proposed to meet the Leaders of the House at regular intervals in order to maintain a continuing constructive dialogue between the Executive and the Legislature, which he said would be in the best interests of the people of Seychelles.

Also present at the meeting was the Attorney General, Mr Ronny Govinden and Secretary of State for Cabinet Affairs, Mr Mohammed Afif.