political party
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...
in
Seychelles
Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, V ...
. It publishes a newspaper called ''The People''. It was known as the Seychelles People's Progressive Front (french: Front Progressiste du Peuple Seychellois) until June 2009, when it changed its name to the People's Party (
Seychellois Creole
Seychellois Creole (), also known as kreol, is the French-based creole language spoken by the Seychelles Creole people of the Seychelles. It shares national language status with English and French (in contrast to Mauritian and Réunion Creo ...
: ''Parti Lepep'', PL). The party changed its name again in November 2018, from the People's Party to United Seychelles.
The party was founded in 1964 by
France-Albert René
France-Albert René (; 16 November 1934 – 27 February 2019) was a Seychellois lawyer, politician and statesman who served as the second President of Seychelles from 1977 to 2004. He also served as the country's 2nd Prime Minister from its in ...
, under the name Seychelles People's United Party, and it was led by him from its inception. The SPUP was the ruling party from 1977 to 2020 and was the sole legal party in the country from 1979 to 1991 (this period is referred to retrospectively as the "Second Republic"). The party is led by a Central Executive Committee.
Leading members of the party over the years have been René,
James Michel
James Alix Michel, GCSK (born August 16, 1944) is a Seychellois politician and the former President of Seychelles from year 2004 to 2016. He previously served as Vice-President under his predecessor, France-Albert René, from 1996 to 2004.
Mi ...
(formerly the chief of staff of the armed forces, information minister, finance minister and vice president from 1996 to 2004; he was the
President of Seychelles
This article contains a list of presidents of the Republic of Seychelles.
Presidents (1976–present)
:Notes
Timeline
Latest election
See also
*Seychelles
**Politics of Seychelles
** List of colonial governors of Seychelles
**Vice-Pre ...
Jacques Hodoul
Jacques Hodoul (1 September 1943 – 3 May 2021) was a Seychellois judge and former politician. After serving as Minister of Education and Culture, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1979 to 1982, Minister of National Development from 1982 ...
(a former foreign minister who was regarded as the party's chief ideologue),
Joseph Belmont
Joseph Belmont (1 June 1947 – 28 January 2022) was a Seychellois politician who was the Vice President of the Seychelles from 14 July 2004 until his retirement on 30 June 2010. He took office after President France-Albert René stepped do ...
(former Vice president of Seychelles), and Maxime Ferrari (a former René loyalist who later supported the opposition and wrote an autobiography).
Former Vice president of Seychelles
Vincent Meriton
Vincent Emmanuel Angelin Meriton (born 28 December 1959) is a Seychellois politician who served as the Vice President of Seychelles from 2016 until 2020. He succeeded Danny Faure, and Party president of the People's Party.Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
and
East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
.
The party maintains branches in each electoral district and utilizes an extensive system of patronage. At the parliamentary election in 2011, the party won 88.56% of the popular vote and all 31 seats in the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...
. That fell to 49.22% and 14 seats in the national assembly after the parliamentary election in 2016, leaving the party in parliamentary opposition for the first time.
From 1993 (when opposition parties were legalised) to 2011, candidates from the party won all the presidential elections in the first round, while in 2016 they won in the second round, and in 2020 they lost for the first time. The party also held a majority in the National Assembly independence until 2016. Seychelles opposition candidate
Wavel Ramkalawan
Wavel Ramkalawan (born 15 March 1959) is a Seychellois politician and Anglican priest who has been serving as the president of Seychelles since 26 October 2020. Ramkalawan was an opposition MP from 1993 to 2011 and 2016 to 2020. He also served as ...
Danny Faure
Danny Faure (born 8 May 1962) is a Seychellois politician who was President of Seychelles from 16 October 2016 until 26 October 2020. Previously, he served as Vice President of Seychelles from 2010 to 2016. Faure is a member of the United Seychel ...
of United Seychelles. The party lost its first presidential poll in over 40 years since Seychelles gained independence. United Seychellois lost also in the General Assembly elections and
Linyon Demokratik Seselwa
Linyon Demokratik Seselwa ( en, Seychellois Democratic Alliance/Union, LDS) is a liberal political coalition which has governed since 2016 in the Seychelles. They have 25 seats in the National Assembly. The coalition was originally made up of t ...
(LDS) held its clear majority in the parliament.
After
Vincent Meriton
Vincent Emmanuel Angelin Meriton (born 28 December 1959) is a Seychellois politician who served as the Vice President of Seychelles from 2016 until 2020. He succeeded Danny Faure, and Party president of the People's Party.Patrick Herminie was elected as the new leader in 2021.
Joevana Charles
Joevana Charles (July 1955 – 17 January 2021) was a member of the National Assembly of Seychelles. She was a member of the Seychelles People's Progressive Front, and was first elected to the Assembly in 1993.
Early life and career
Char ...
*
Ansley Constance
Ansley Constance is a member of the National Assembly of Seychelles. A teacher by profession, he is a member of the Seychelles People's Progressive Front, and has been elected to the Assembly twice.
ReferencesMember page on Assembly website
...
*
Charles DeCommarmond
Charles DeCommarmond is a member of the National Assembly of Seychelles. He is a member of the Seychelles People's Progressive Front
United Seychelles is a political party in Seychelles. It publishes a newspaper called ''The People''. It was k ...
*
Ginette Gamatis
Ginette Gamatis is a member of the National Assembly of Seychelles. A teacher by profession, she is a member of the Seychelles People's Progressive Front, and was first elected to the Assembly in 1993.
ReferencesMember page on Assembly website ...
*
Wilby Lucas
Wilby Lucas is a member of the National Assembly of Seychelles, currently serving as that body's deputy speaker. A lawyer by profession. He is a member of the Seychelles People's Progressive Front
United Seychelles is a political party in Sey ...
David Payet
David Payet is a member of the National Assembly of Seychelles. A Physician, doctor by profession, he is a member of the Seychelles People's Progressive Front, and was first elected to the Assembly in 2007.
References
Year of birth missing ...
Jennifer Vel
Jennifer Vel is a Seychelles politician and economist. She is a member of the National Assembly of Seychelles. She is a member of the Seychelles People's Progressive Front
United Seychelles is a political party in Seychelles. It publishes ...
Waven William
Waven William is a member of the National Assembly of Seychelles. He is a member of the Seychelles People's Progressive Front, and was first elected to the Assembly in 1993.
See also
*Politics of Seychelles
The politics of Seychelles have his ...