Opposition Leader Patrick Herminie Wins Seychelles Presidential Runoff Election

Seychelles’s opposition leader, Patrick Herminie, has been declared the winner of the country’s presidential runoff election, defeating incumbent President Wavel Ramkalawan, according to official results released by the Electoral Commission.

Herminie secured 52.7% of the votes, while Ramkalawan received 47.3%, as announced early Sunday.

In his victory speech, Herminie expressed gratitude to voters and pledged to address key national challenges, including reducing the cost of living, revitalizing public services, and promoting national unity.

“The people have spoken,” said the 62-year-old leader at the Electoral Commission headquarters. “I am humbled by the trust the Seychellois people have placed in me. I will be a president for all citizens—ending divisions, ensuring fairness, and creating opportunities for everyone to thrive.”

Herminie’s triumph marks a significant political shift, giving his United Seychelles Party full control of government after regaining a parliamentary majority during the first round of elections last month.

The victory is also a personal comeback for Herminie, who faced legal controversy in 2023 after being arrested on witchcraft charges that were later dismissed. He previously served as Speaker of Parliament from 2007 to 2016.

President Ramkalawan, who attended the official announcement, congratulated his successor and acknowledged the democratic outcome.

“I leave behind a legacy that few can match,” he said. “I hope President Herminie continues to uphold the same standards.”

Photos published by Seychelles Nation showed the two leaders shaking hands following the results.

Outside the commission headquarters, thousands of Herminie’s supporters celebrated his victory, waving national flags and party banners in scenes widely shared on social media.

The tightly contested election proceeded to a runoff after no candidate achieved a majority in the initial vote two weeks earlier. While early voting began Thursday, most citizens cast their ballots on Saturday.

Both candidates ran vigorous campaigns focused on pressing national issues, including environmental protection, economic inequality, and drug addiction.

Ramkalawan had based his campaign on economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic and the expansion of social welfare programs. However, voters favored Herminie’s message of reform, which included tackling alleged government corruption and canceling a controversial hotel development criticized by environmental groups for threatening a UNESCO-listed coral atoll.

Herminie has also promised to lower the national retirement age from 65 to 63, and to implement recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which investigated human rights violations linked to the 1977 coup and its aftermath.

A physician by profession, Herminie previously led the country’s anti-drug agency and has vowed to confront Seychelles’s widespread heroin addiction. Official data estimates between 5,000 and 6,000 users among a population of about 120,000, though some reports suggest the figure could be as high as 10,000.

Comprising 115 islands spread across 1.2 million square kilometers in the western Indian Ocean, Seychelles remains Africa’s wealthiest nation per capita. The archipelago continues to play a strategic role as a global tourism hub and a focal point for investment and security cooperation involving China, Gulf nations, and India.