Research Africa > East of Africa > Seychelles > Politics

Politics        0  692 reads

1) Government
 

Administrative divisions
23 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Louis, Anse Royale, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand' Anse (on Mahe), Grand' Anse (on Praslin), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka
Ambassadors from Finland > Current Finnish Ambassadors > Ambassador Matti Kääriäinen
Capital city Victoria
Capital city > Geographic coordinates 4 38 S, 55 27 E
Capital city > Name Victoria
Capital city > Time difference
UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Commonwealth Heads of Government > Current Heads > Head of Government James Michel
Commonwealth Heads of Government > Current Heads > Title President
Constitution 18 June 1993
Copyright > Reference s. 9,
Corruption 4 [58th of 160]
countries' copyright length > Usual term of copyright protection
25 pma;
photographs 25 pd
Diplomatic representation from the US
the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Seychelles
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery
800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission
Ambassador Jean Ronald JUMEAU
Diplomatic representation in the US > FAX [1] (212) 972-1786
Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone [1] (212) 972-1785
Elections > Head of state Direct election
Executive branch > Cabinet
Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Executive branch > Chief of state
President James Alix MICHEL (since 14 April 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Executive branch > Election results
President James MICHEL elected president; percent of vote - James MICHEL 53.73%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN 45.71%, Philippe BOULLE 0.56%; note - this was the first election in which President James MICHEL participated; he was originally sworn in as president after former president France Albert RENE stepped down in April 2004
Executive branch > Elections
president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for two more terms); election last held 28-30 July 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
Executive branch > Head of government
President James MICHEL (since 14 April 2004)
Flag description
five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side
Flag modification 18 [96th of 197]
Foreign relations > Croatia > Date of Establishment September 30, 1997
Foreign relations > Nepal > Date of Establishment October 10, 1996
Foreign relations of Western Sahara > States recognizing the SADR > Date of recognition October 25, 1977
General government final consumption expenditure > annual % growth -23.59 % [116th of 147]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant 2000 US$ 116,638,200 constant 2000 US$ [111st of 145]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant 2000 US$ (per capita) 1,380.425 constant 2000 US$ per c [22nd of 146]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant LCU 443854000
General government final consumption expenditure > current LCU 910000000
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ 165,454,500 $ [135th of 169]
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per $ GDP) 0.239 $ per $1 of GDP [17th of 184]
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per capita) 1,958.171 $ per capita [28th of 184]
Government type republic
Heads of Missions from the United Kingdom Diana Skingle
Heads of Missions from the United Kingdom > Resident Heads of Missions > Type High Commission
Independence 29 June 1976 (from UK)
Independence Day > Date 29 June
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the president
Legal system
based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34 seats; 25 members elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a proportional basis to parties winning at least 10% of the vote; to serve five-year terms)
Legislative branch > A note
the 9 awarded seats are apportioned according to the percentage that each party won of the total vote
Legislative branch > Election results
percent of vote by party - SPPF 56.2%, SNP 43.8%; seats by party - SPPF 23, SNP 11
Legislative branch > Elections
last held 10-12 May 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
Legislative branch > Note
the 9 awarded seats are apportioned according to the percentage that each party won of the total vote
National holiday
Constitution Day (National Day), 18 June
Parliamentary seats > Female 24% [13th of 143]
political parties > Two party •
Political parties and leaders
Democratic Party or DP [James MANCHAM, Paul CHOW]; Seychelles National Party or SNP [Wavel RAMKALAWAN] (formerly the United Opposition or UO); Seychelles People's Progressive Front or SPPF [France Albert RENE, James MICHEL] (the governing party)
Political pressure groups and leaders Roman Catholic Church
Political pressure groups and leaders > Other trade unions
Procedures to build a warehouse > number 22 [36th of 168]
Procedures to build a warehouse > number (per capita) 260.372 per 1 million people [3rd of 170]
Procedures to enforce a contract > number 29 [108th of 170]
Procedures to enforce a contract > number (per capita) 343.218 per 1 million people [9th of 171]
Procedures to register property > number 4 [132nd of 167]
Procedures to register property > number (per capita) 47,340.404 per 1 billion people [8th of 167]
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament > % 29.4 % [21st of 174]
Start-up procedures to register a business > number 9 [88th of 171]
Start-up procedures to register a business > number (per capita) 106.516 per 1 million people [3rd of 171]
Status
democracy
Suffrage
17 years of age; universal
Time required to build a warehouse > days 147 days [116th of 168]
Time required to enforce a contract > days 720 days [33rd of 171]
Time required to register property > days 33 days [112nd of 167]
Time required to start a business > days 38 days [76th of 171]
Time to prepare and pay taxes > hours 76 hours [161st of 169]
Trademarks, nonresidents 196 [55th of 99]
Trademarks, nonresidents (per capita) 2.367 per 1 million people [8th of 146]
Trademarks, residents 16 [53rd of 98]
Trademarks, residents (per capita) 0.193 per 1 million people [51st of 142]
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International
together with Mauritius, Seychelles claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory)
UN membership date 21 Sep. 1976
United Nations mission
http://seychelles.diplomacy.edu/


SOURCES
All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008; Wikipedia: List of Ambassadors from Finland ; CIA World Factbook, 14 June, 2007 ; Wikipedia: Commonwealth Heads of Government ; Wikipedia: List of countries' copyright length ; Transparency International; Wikipedia: Elections by country ; Flagspot; Wikipedia: Foreign relations of Croatia ; Wikipedia: Foreign relations of Nepal ; Wikipedia: Foreign relations of Western Sahara ; World Development Indicators database; Wikipedia: Heads of Missions from the United Kingdom ; Wikipedia: Independence Day ; CIA World Factbook, December 2003; United Nations World Statistics Pocketbook and Statistical Yearbook; Wikipedia: List of political parties ; electionworld.org; Wisconsin High School Model United Nations

Democracy
 

Electoral system
parallel: first-past-the-post
Electoral system type semi-proportional
Female candidacy 1,948 [83rd of 161]
Female ministers 18.2% [43rd of 125]
Female parliamentarians 23.5% [23rd of 157]
Female suffrage 1948
First female parliamentarian
1976 (elected and appointed)
Gender Parity Index in primary level enrolment 1.01037100013811 [14th of 183]
Homosexuality laws of the world > Homosexuality laws > Laws against homosexuality Yes
Parliamentary elections > Invalid votes 2.5% [59th of 110]
Parliamentary elections > Registered voter turnout 86.7% [23rd of 152]
Parliamentary elections > Total vote 47,568 [139th of 154]
Parliamentary elections > Turnout 90.2 [13th of 117]
Parliamentary elections > Voter registration 54,847 [142nd of 152]
Parliamentary elections > Voting age population 52,729 [151st of 163]
Parliamentary elections > Voting age population (per capita) 649.468 per 1,000 people [59th of 162]
Presidential elections > Invalid votes 1.8% [35th of 61]
Presidential elections > Registered voter turnout 93.3% [5th of 86]
Presidential elections > Total vote 51,145 [85th of 87]
Presidential elections > Turnout 97.9 [2nd of 82]
Presidential elections > Voter registration 54,847 [86th of 86]
Presidential elections > Voting age population 52,267 [91st of 91]
Presidential elections > Voting age population (per capita) 643.777 per 1,000 people [27th of 91]


SOURCES
No comment is being made on the state of democracy. Categorizations are based on the electoral law, or the last competitive election held; IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 1995. Women in Parliaments 1945-1995: A World Statistical Survey. Geneva and IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on year women received the right to vote and to stand for election and year first woman was elected or appointed to parliament. March. Geneva; IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on women in government at the ministerial level. March. Geneva; calculated on the basis of data on parliamentary seats from IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2002. Parline Database. March 2002; IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 1995. Women in Parliaments 1945-1995: A World Statistical Survey. Geneva and IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on year women received the right to vote and to stand for election and year first woman was elected or appointed to parliament. March. Geneva.; Source: Millennium Development Goals Database | United Nations Statistics Division; Wikipedia: Homosexuality laws of the world ; Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2003

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