President Michel sworn in

‘Let us unite for Seychelles’
President James A. Michel took his oaths of office and of allegiance before Chief Justice Fredrick Egonda-Ntende yesterday, and urged all of us, in the spirit of national unity and solidarity, to work towards a better future for our country.

Speaking in a ceremony witnessed by distinguished guests from Seychelles and the region, as well as by representatives of local and international media, President Michel said there is no place in this small blessed country of ours for division.
“Let us work together for a better future for our country.  Seychelles needs all its children.  This New Seychelles deserves the best.  It deserves our courage, our determination and our sweat.  Let us do it together for Seychelles.  Let us unite for Seychelles.  Let us earn more victories for Seychelles.”

He also pledged to continue to serve all Seychellois without discrimination. 

“I shall continue to devote all my efforts for the service of our people.  I would like to reaffirm what I have said repeatedly: I am the President of all Seychellois.  I believe sincerely in this mission, and together, united as a nation, with stability and a spirit of solidarity, we shall do it.”

Among those present at the inauguration ceremony – which took place at State House – were the speaker of the National Assembly Dr Patrick Herminie, former Vice-President Joseph Belmont, foreign election observers, and Mr Michel’s family.

Also present were Cabinet Ministers, representatives of the judiciary, members of the National Assembly from the ruling party, members of the diplomatic corps based in Victoria and senior civil servants and top clerics.

Vice-President Danny Faure also took his oaths of office and of allegiance before President Michel.

Outlining his main priorities during his new mandate, President Michel said:

“We shall all have to find lasting solutions to the serious problems threatening the fabric of our society – consumption and trafficking of drugs, crime, delinquency, anti-social behavior and others. We also have to give more support to the agencies responsible for law and order, security and peace, to enable them to perform with greater effectiveness, discipline and professionalism.”

He said in the next five years we will continue to consolidate our economy, work hard together, create new opportunities, increase productivity and encourage innovation for greater prosperity and the wellbeing of our people.
But apart from the economy, President Michel said we will also concentrate our effort in one particular sector – the social sector.

He talked about improving our health service, maintaining the continuity and sustainability of our housing programme, creating more employment opportunities and boosting productivity, and ensuring that the cost of living remains affordable.

He however noted that these require the efforts of all citizens, discipline and hard work, as well as both individual and collective responsibility.

He also reiterated the need for government to remain close to the people and pledged to eliminate mediocrity and laissez-faire.

“There is a lot of fixing to be done. There are many weaknesses, not only in the public sector, but in the private sector, too. The expectations of our citizens are high, and rightly so, because for as long as I am President of Seychelles, I shall always insist that we aim as high as possible.”

He said he will review the system of district administration in all it aspects so as to give our citizens the possibilities to take on more responsibilities.

“The time has come to give the district inhabitants more power to take decisions on what they believe is best for the development of their communities,” he said.

“Giving more power to the communities means greater participation in the decision-making process of their districts. The people of Seychelles want better services – and they are right. We cannot disappoint them. We have to redouble our efforts to find remedies where there are weaknesses. We will undertake a clean-up wherever there is a need for it. Let us give our citizens more hope. Let us remain connected. Let us, together, create a society that is even more dynamic, more innovative, more caring and more prosperous,” he added.