Voters in Seychelles went to the polls Saturday to elect a president and parliament, with the economy, environmental concerns, and a worsening drug crisis dominating the campaign.
President Wavel Ramkalawan, seeking a second five-year term, faces his main challenger Patrick Herminie of the United Seychelles Party, a former parliamentary speaker.
Polls opened at 7 a.m. across the 115-island nation, with electoral officials reporting a smooth start and strong turnout among the 77,000 registered voters.
Ramkalawan, an Anglican priest turned politician, made history in 2020 when he became the first opposition figure since independence in 1976 to defeat the ruling party.
His Linyon Demokratik Seselwa party is running on promises of economic recovery, social development, and environmental protection.
But his administration has drawn criticism for failing to tackle Seychelles’ growing heroin epidemic.
The UN and the 2023 Global Organized Crime Index warn the country has one of the world’s highest addiction rates, with nearly 6,000 users in a population of just 120,000.
Herminie, however, also faces scrutiny for his role as head of the national anti-drug agency between 2017 and 2020, a period marked by rising abuse.
Environmental issues have also fueled voter discontent. Just days before the election, activists filed a constitutional case over a government deal granting a Qatari company a long-term lease on Assomption Island for luxury hotel development.
The project, which includes plans to rebuild an airstrip, has sparked backlash over fears of ceding national land to foreign interests.
Seychelles, which spans 390,000 square kilometers of ocean territory, is also among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, facing rising sea levels and threats to its tourism-driven economy.
If no candidate secures over 50% of the vote, the two top contenders will advance to a runoff.
