Seychelles to hold rerun presidential election as no candidate secures 50%

With no outright winner, Seychelles will hold a rerun presidential election after the country’s two main contenders secured below 50 percent of the votes, the electoral authority said.

According to official results on Sunday, incumbent Wavel Ramkalawan gained 46.4 percent of the vote while opposition figure Patrick Herminie received 48.8 percent, according to The Associated Press news agency.

The electoral authority did not announce when the rerun election is expected to be held.

While early voting began on Thursday, most people voted on Saturday.

The United Seychelles party, led by Herminie, dominated the country before losing power five years ago. It was the governing party from 1977 to 2020.

In an attempt to prevent United Seychelles from returning to power, Ramkalawan is seeking a second term to lead the country, with his party, the Linyon Domokratik Seselwa, campaigning on economic recovery, social development, and environmental sustainability.

However, opposition to Ramkalawan’s party has been growing in the lead-up to the election.

Activists filed a constitutional case against the government a week before the election, to challenge a recent decision to issue a long-term lease for part of Assomption Island, the country’s largest, to a Qatari company for a luxury hotel development, according to AP.

Included in the lease was the reconstruction of an airstrip to facilitate access for international flights.