Seychelles' government proposes fixed date of Sept. 27 for presidential and parliamentary elections in 2025

The proposed amendment establishes a fixed date for Presidential and National Assembly elections. (Seychelles News Agency)

Presidential and legislative elections in Seychelles will take place on September 27, 2025, if a proposed 11th amendment to the Constitution on a fixed date for elections is approved by the National Assembly.

Vice President Ahmed Afif made the statement on Thursday during a Cabinet decisions briefing with reporters on Wednesday.

The proposed amendment establishes a fixed date for Presidential and National Assembly elections, and other amendments.

Afif said the formula that will used is to "take the last day of the President's mandate, like in the case of President Ramkalawan, he was sworn on 26th October 2020. So his mandate ends on the 25th of October 2025. So to have the date for new elections you take the 25th of October and you go back five weeks and on the Saturday of the last five weeks will be the date of the next elections."

Using the formula, the date for the elections in 2025 will be September 27 if approved by the National Assembly.

Another amendment proposed is if a President dies or falls ill and cannot complete his or her mandate, Afif said, "The Vice President will continue in the place of the President until the end of the term."

If a President resigns or is removed from office for gross misconduct or violation, Afif said the Vice President will take over for a period of time probably around three months until new elections are held.

He stressed that "If the Vice President takes over for two-thirds of the Presidential mandate that will count as a term for the new President."

Also included in the amendment is if a President resigns, the person cannot contest an election in the immediate next election but can do so in future elections.

Afif explained that this is because a President in office can use an opportunity to resign in anticipation of something happening in the coming years but then stand as a candidate in the next election.

The amendment proposed also removes the time limit set for a person to take legal action against a President after he or she is no longer in power.

Afif said the current law states that legal action against a former can only be done three years after leaving office. This will be removed so a lawsuit can be made against a President anytime after the person is no longer in power.