VICTORIA – Former parliament speaker Patrick Herminie has won Seychelles’ presidential election, defeating incumbent Wavel Ramkalawan with 52.7% of the vote, official results showed on Sunday.
The victory restores full control to the United Seychelles party, which also regained its parliamentary majority in last month’s elections.
Seychelles, an Indian Ocean island nation and Africa’s richest country per capita, has strong ties with China, India, and Gulf nations.
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Ramkalawan, in power since 2020, had campaigned on his handling of the economy and social programs after COVID-19. But Herminie accused him of allowing corruption and promised to reverse a controversial hotel project on a UNESCO-listed coral atoll.
Herminie pledged to lower the retirement age and act on the findings of a truth and reconciliation commission on abuses linked to the 1977 coup.
Despite its wealth, Seychelles faces climate threats and a high rate of heroin addiction. Herminie, who was once arrested on witchcraft charges later dropped, says his party has “turned the page” on past corruption.