Wavel Ramkalawan cast his vote at St Louis saying he is 'expecting good results' in the 2015 presidential elections in Seychelles

Seychelles National Party Leader, Wavel Ramkalawan casting his vote. (Salifa Magnan, Seychelles News Agency)

(Seychelles News Agency) - Wavel Ramkalawan, the leader of the Seychelles National Party (SNP), standing in his fifth presidential elections has described the atmosphere as relatively “quiet and peaceful” saying he is “expecting good results” this evening.

Ramkalwan voted at around midday at the Belonie School, the polling station set up for voters from St Louis, a central district of the main island of Mahé.

A total of 2,653 people are registered in the St Louis district, among which 1,329 are women and 1,324 men.

Speaking to journalists after casting his ballot, the SNP leader said that everything is going well and no major issues have come up so far, except for what he has described as “a lack of respect for the code of conduct signed by all parties, by the ruling ‘Parti Lepep”.

“An election it is not time to fight, it is not the time to disturb other people or become violent. The election is the time that together as a nation, we decide the future by deciding which government will be in power,” says Ramkalawan.

“Tomorrow after this election, we will continue to be the Seychellois nation… those who win must not provoke those who lost, and those who lost, should not provoke those who won….let us show that we really are mature and that we are ready to bring our country forward.”

Similarly to all the other candidates, Ramkalawan adds that he has visited many polling stations around the main island.

“I feel that the people would like to see a change after 38 years and I think that tonight Seychelles will show that it is ready to become the last country in the Indian Ocean to make a change in government.”

Wavel Ramkalawan is not a newcomer on the Seychelles political scene, having stood in four presidential elections in 1998, 2001, 2006 and 2011.

He obtained 41.43 percent of the votes in the last elections in 2011, while his best score was in 2006 when he obtained 45.71 percent of the votes.

Some 70,943 eligible voters are being called to the polls this year, spread across 25 electoral districts on the three main inhabited islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue.

Thursday and Friday were the first two days of voting for people living and working on some of the more remote islands as well as in several special stations, catering for example for people who work in essential services and are on duty today as well as or detained persons, either in holding cells or prisoners awaiting trial.

The 2015 vote, is one of the most highly contested, since the establishment of the third republic when the country adopted its current constitution in 1993, with a record number of six candidates standing.

Ramkalawan’s adversaries in this election are incumbent President James Michel, leader of the ruling ‘Parti Lepep’ who is seeking a third and final term, first timers; David Pierre leader of the Popular Democratic Movement, Patrick Pillay a former high-ranking figure within Parti Lepep and leader of ‘Lalyans Seselwa’ and Alexia Amesbury, leader of the Seychelles Party for Social Justice and Democracy who is also the first female presidential candidate.

The sole independent candidate contesting the vote is Philippe Boullé.