Seychelles' National Assembly is dissolved following election; president to summon new assembly

The Seychelles National Assembly building at Ile du Port. The parliament now stands dissolved following new parliamentary elections. (Joena Bonnelame, Seychelles News Agency) 

(Seychelles News Agency) - The Seychelles' parliament was dissolved Monday, a day after results of parliamentary elections held in the island nation were announced.

The constitution states that following general elections parliament shall be dissolved the day after results are announced. 

The first meeting of the newly elected assembly will be called by the president.

Parliamentary polls in in the 115-island archipelago in the western Indian Ocean are held every five years. Three days of voting to elect the sixth National Assembly ended Saturday.

Official results released by the Electoral Commission in the early hours of Sunday confirmed that an opposition coalition had secured the most seats.

Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS) has won 15 directly elected and four proportionate seats while the Parti Lepep will enter the sixth assembly with 10 directly elected and four proportionate members.

Parti Lepep had previously won every parliamentary election held in Seychelles since the return of multiparty democracy in 1993. In the last assembly that was dissolved the ruling party held all 25 directly elected seats.

Seychelles President James Michel shall summon the first meeting of the sixth National Assembly.

The constitution states that this shall be done “not later than four months after the end of the immediately preceding session of the Assembly.”