African state’s opposition leader wins elections — ApsnyNews Africa

The leader of Seychelles’ main opposition party has won the East African country’s presidential elections, denying incumbent Wavel Ramkalawan a second term in a rerun of a highly contested vote.

Patrick Herminie of the United Seychelles (US) Party secured 52.7% of the vote, compared with 47.3% for Ramkalawan, official results released by the Electoral Commission on Sunday showed.

According to the commission, 77,045 people registered to vote in the small Indian Ocean nation of 121,354 people. None of the eight candidates won a majority in the first round on September 27, prompting a runoff between Herminie and Ramkalawan.

A former Anglican priest, Ramkalawan took office in 2020 when his Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS) defeated the United Seychelles Party, which had ruled for over four decades and was the sole legal party from 1979 to 1991. The Seychelles became independent from Britain on June 29, 1976, and just 11 months later, in 1977, supporters of the Seychelles People’s United Party, now known as United Seychelles, overthrew President James Mancham while he was abroad and installed France-Albert Rene.