Should Political Parties Take Their Eyes Off The ‘election ball’ To Fight For Fairer Conditions?
Roger Mancienne— SNP Secretary General Hasty elections in the Seychelles have left the balance of representation in the National Assembly exactly the same as it was. But for the Seychelles National Party (SNP) it has shown a particular dilemma that opposition parties face. Can an opposition party afford to take its attention away from the election grind to push for fairer political conditions? The SNP found out how difficult it was to do both. First of all, it may be necessary to clarify that the SNP is still something of a ‘novice’ as a political party. It was formed out of the movement, initially underground and illegal, to bring democracy back to the Seychelles after 16 years of a one-party dictatorship. This was achieved in 1993 and 14 years on, the SNP is still fighting to achieve fair and equitable conditions for political participation. Its attention is still divided between the mission to establish democracy and the more ‘normal’ goal of an established political party, which
