Opposition Leader Patrick Herminie defeats Wavell Ramkalawan

Seychelles’ main opposition leader, Patrick Herminie, won the presidential election, defeating incumbent President Wavell Ramkalawan in a run-off, according to official results released by the Electoral Commission.

Herminie received 52.7% of the votes compared to Ramkalawan’s 47.3%.

In his victory speech, Herminie promised to lower the cost of living, revive public services and unify the island nation, saying the result represented “a new chapter for all Seychelles”.

After losing his bid for a second term, Ramkalawan congratulated Herminie on his victory, saying he left “a legacy that would make many presidents blush.”

The elections went to a runoff after none of the candidates won an absolute majority in the first round two weeks ago.

Herminie, the former Speaker of Parliament, was accused of practicing witchcraft in 2023 in what he said was a politically motivated attempt to thwart his presidential ambitions.

The charges were dropped in 2024, paving the way for him to run for president.

“I will be a president for all Seychelles citizens, and I will end divisions by stopping favoritism and giving everyone the opportunity to prosper,” Herminie said in his victory speech.

Ramkalawan is the latest president to lose elections in Africa, where Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera was forced out of power last month amid growing dissatisfaction with the rising cost of living.

Herminie’s party, United Seychelles (US), won parliamentary elections with a strong majority last month, regaining control after previously losing to Rakalawan’s LDSP.