Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In April 2004, René finally relinquished the presidency to the former vice-president,
James Michel, who had stood by René through thick and thin. After a close race with
Wavel Ramkalawan, the opposition leader, Michel won the 2006 presidential election,
gaining 53.5% of the vote.
Michel doesn't seem willing to cede his power to any of his opponents; he prematurely
dissolved the National Assembly in March 2007, following the boycott of assembly pro-
ceedings by the opposition party, and the general elections in May 2007 returned 18 SPPF
members as against seven members of the SNP opposition party led by Wavel
Ramkalawan (exactly the same numbers as before the dissolution). Though these elections
were held democratically, the opposition claimed that the government bought votes.
On the economic front, in 2008 the highly indebted country was forced to turn to the
IMF for assistance. A package of reforms was passed, including the free floating of the ru-
pee, the abolition of all exchange restrictions and massive cuts in public spending. Debt
was frozen and the economy quickly rebounded.
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The Culture
Thanks to the islands' close links with Europe, the contemporary face of the Seychelles is
surprisingly modern. The main island of Mahé is a rather sophisticated place, character-
ised as much by Western-style clothing, brand-new cars, mobile phones and modern
houses as by any overt signs of traditional Creole culture. But beneath this strongly
Westernised veneer, many aspects of traditional Creole culture survive. They live on in
dance, music, hospitality, ancient beliefs, the language, the care-free attitude, and in many
other day-to-day ways of doing things.
The society continues to be largely male dominated. Fortunately for women, the tour-
ism industry is regarded as an equal-opportunity employer.
Most Seychellois are Catholic, but marriage is an unpopular institution. The reasons
cited are that not marrying is a relic of slavery, when marriages simply didn't take place,
and that marriage is expensive. As a result an estimated 75% of children are born out of
wedlock. There's no taboo about illegitimacy, however.
For visitors, there are few rules and regulations to be followed, beyond respecting local
attitudes towards nudity and visiting places of religious worship.
