Messages of congratulations pour in to Seychelles' newly elected President

Ramkalawan was sworn in as the fifth president of Seychelles on Monday. (Joena Meme) 

(Seychelles News Agency) - Messages of congratulations have been pouring in to the newly elected President of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, since he was declared on Sunday the winner of the presidential election.

Ramkalawan was sworn in as the fifth president of Seychelles on Monday after winning the presidential election with 54.9 percent of the total valid votes.

His party Linyon Demokratik Seslwa (LDS) also won a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly elections held at the same time.

The US State Department hailed Ramkalawan's election as a new chapter in the history of Seychelles in a statement on Sunday. 

"The commitment of the Seychellois people to the democratic process has ushered in a new chapter in their country's history. This achievement represents another major milestone in Seychelles' democracy," said the State Department.

"We congratulate Reverend Wavel Ramkalawan on his election and look forward to expanding cooperation on a wide range of mutual interests including maritime security, good governance, and fighting drug abuse, piracy, and terrorism," the Department added.

This was echoed by Patrick Lynch, the British High Commissioner in Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, who said, "This is a historic moment for Seychelles' democracy and the people of Seychelles. The level of turnout is testament to how important the democratic process is to the people of Seychelles."

He added that "the new government has been elected with strong clear commitments to democracy and transparency and we look forward to supporting them on those key issues."

The French Embassy congratulated the Seychellois voters who "expressed themselves and chose their President of the Republic and their representatives in the National Assembly."

It said that the "Seychellois democracy emerges strengthened and still exemplary for the rest of the world. Starting tomorrow, we will all be working together for the benefit of our Seychellois friends."

The Embassy added that "France stands alongside the Seychelles in jointly building a prosperous and stable Indian Ocean."

Message of congratulation also came from the Chinese Embassy in Seychelles on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, said that China sincerely congratulates Ramkalawan on his election as President of Seychelles.

"We believe that under his leadership, the government and people of Seychelles will make new and greater achievements on the path of national development. Seychelles is a good friend and partner of China in Africa, and the traditional friendship between China and Seychelles is profound. China is ready to work with Seychelles to consolidate friendship and mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and international coordination and elevate bilateral relations to a higher level," said the Foreign Ministry.

On his side, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in a tweeted message on Sunday congratulated the new president on his historic win in the Presidential and Assembly elections in Seychelles.

"We look forward to a strengthening of the close and traditional relationship between India and Seychelles under his leadership. Congratulations to the people of Seychelles for the conduct of free, fair and peaceful elections. This is a victory for democracy, a common value that binds India and Seychelles," tweeted the Prime Minister.

The Indian High Commissioner to Seychelles, Dalbir Singh Suhag, also extended his sincere congratulations to Ramkalawan on his "historic victory in the presidential and parliamentary elections. It is a victory for the ideals of democracy, a common value that binds our two countries."

Congratulatory message for Ramkalawan and his party LDS for their electoral victory also came from the President of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, who is also the Chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.

"SADC commends the people of the Republic of Seychelles for turning out in large numbers to exercise their democratic right by voting in the Presidential and National Assembly Elections, held on 22nd – 24th October 2020," said Masisi.

Meanwhile, the members who will make up the seventh National Assembly, the legislative body of Seychelles, will be sworn in this week. The date has not been announced yet.