Manifesto General Elections 2020
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General Elections 2020 Sesel PMS 294c PMS 122c PMS 1795c PMS 356c PMS 3545c Pour Tou Son Zanfan General Elections 2020 Manifesto General Elections 2020 PMS 294c PMS 122c PMS 1795c PMS 356c PMS 3545c Sesel Pour Tou Son Zanfan ur campaign slogan sums up in one simple short phrase our mission for OGovernment. We want to give each one of our citizens a guarantee that they have a place and a part in this country. It is theirs to build and theirs to benefit from what it can offer. Our declarations about national unity, good government, opportunities and justice are all enshrined in that phrase. It is your country. We want you to own it. This is also a call for responsibility and your willingness to serve this country, because when something is yours, you will take care of it, protect it and make it the best that it can be. This manifesto sets out our principles and our goals for Government. They are what will enable us to make Seychelles a well-governed country. What is unique for us, and which only an LDS Government can bring, is a new spirit and a new approach to government. We can bring a new beginning with government based on truth and openness, responsibility and accountability, reconciliation and national unity. We will make it your country. - 2 - General Elections 2020 Our Mission For Seychelles e will lead Seychelles into a new era as a well-governed country, championing the rights of our citizens, enabling a thriving Weconomy and ensuring the secure well-being of our people. What We Will Do p Get Seychelles Past Covid-19 p Make It Your Government p Open Opportunities for Seychellois p Raise Income and Living Standards p Shape a Better Country p Build a Strong Society p Invest in Our Youth - 3 - General Elections 2020 PMS 294c PMS 122c PMS 1795c PMS 356c PMS 3545c Transition To The New Seychelles Our country is entering a new era. Today, we can be happy and proud that we have put Seychelles back on the path of freedom and democracy. Our people know they can speak and be heard; they know their rights as human beings and citizens. Our recent history has shown that ‘Change’ is not an empty political slogan if it’s for something you believe in, but a real goal which makes a difference. We are beginning to see that difference. - 4 - General Elections 2020 This gives us hope that we can and will make Seychelles, small as it is, a great country with good government, working together for prosperity and progress. The reason why the coming Presidential election is of such great importance is that it is the moment to put Seychelles firmly on this new path, with no turning back. This will be an era of new challenges, I am sure. We cannot escape the crisis that we face immediately with the Covid-19 pandemic. But challenges will always be there and we will find the strength and resources to overcome them. The Government that I will lead will be conscious that we are not there for ourselves but for our country and people. We will start on a clean page, with respect for the rule of law, for the democratic institutions that we have worked hard to bring into being, with a commitment to justice and fairness. We will keep what is good and safeguard your rights and benefits. It will be a Government of decision and action. We will move resolutely to surmount the challenges and bring an era of new opportunity, based on the fact that Seychelles belongs to all its children and that the future of our country is in our hands today. Together we will truly make ‘Sesel Pour Tou Son Zanfan. - 5 - General Elections 2020 PMS 294c PMS 122c PMS 1795c PMS 356c PMS 3545c Leadership That Seychelles Needs eychelles faces unprecedented challenges which require decisive leadership. We need a President ready to consult and bring all parts of our nation together to forge a unified national response. We need to mobilise all Savailable resources and to use them carefully to assure the standard of living and well-being of our people into the future. Wavel Ramkalawan is a leader who has forged an enduring political movement which has returned Seychelles to democratic governance. He has led the way in creating national intuitions to support the rule of law. As Leader of the Opposition Wavel has been a champion of the rights of Seychellois and has workerd tirelessly to make Seychelles a better country for everyone. He has also forged a network of contacts among emerging leaders in the region, in Africa and in the world. Presidential candidate Wavel Ramkalawan has nominated Ahmed Afif to serve as Vice-President. Ahmed Afif brings great expertise in financial administration and years of experience in public affairs. Wavel Ramkalawan and Ahmed Afif will lead an Executive team committed to good governance, responsible management and efficient delivery of services. The people of Seychelles can count on Wavel Ramkalawan and Ahmed Afif to ensure the leadership that Seychelles needs today. - 6 - General Elections 2020 Government Based on Best Principles DS is committed to the best principles of Government. Through their work as responsible leaders in the National Assembly, Wavel Ramkalawan and Ahmed Afif have been continually attentive to the needs and aspirations of the people Lof Seychelles. They will lead a government based on the best principles. v National Unity The commitment to national unity is part of what we are. As we face the gravest crisis since the return of multi-party democracy, forging national unity is of paramount importance. This means consultation and combining resources and effort. An LDS Government will bring parties and groups together for a unified national response to the Covid-19 crisis and to national development. v Promoting opportunity The future depends not only on government but on people working in a climate that encourages initiative and resourcefulness. Good government says ‘Yes’ to good ideas and actively plays its role as facilitator. Our Government will be open and receptive to development proposals and respond to them speedily. vEfficient delivery of services Government is there to serve and its organisations must respond promptly to people’s rights and needs. The LDS Executive will promote readiness to assist and provide services to which our citizens are entitled. v Accountability and Transparency The LDS government will hold truth as a necessary condition of government and will be transparent in its decisions and actions. It will be accountable to the people it serves. v Justice and Fairness We hold firmly to the belief that all Seychellois have the right to justice under the law and equal consideration in the way we govern. We will be ready to serve everyone without consideration of personal interest or political affiliation. vThe Rule of Law It must be a cardinal principle of our democracy that the law is supreme and applies to everyone. There cannot be exceptions for privileged individuals. This principle must remain at the core of all Government policies and programs. - 7 - General Elections 2020 PMS 294c PMS 122c PMS 1795c PMS 356c PMS 3545c Strenthening Democracy - Ensuring Good Governance aking Seychelles a well- governed country is part of our vision. The LDS and its founder parties haveM made a great contribution to returning our country to democracy but there is still much to be done to set it firmly in our system of Government. We also have to anchor the principles of good governance so that they become the norms that will be accepted and expected. vConsultation and communication Our Government will rely on consultation to build unity and to establish the best courses of action to meet the challenges we face. We will set guidelines for Government organisations to engage in meaningful consultation at appropriate levels on key issues and to maintain effective communication practices to ensure that people remain informed and engaged in the work of government. v Fixed election dates The LDS Government will continue to review our Constitution and laws so that they answer to our democratic aspirations. We will nstitute fixed election dates for both Presidential and National Assembly elections so as to establish certainty and stability. Elections must not be manipulated to serve political ends. v Meaningful Local Government LDS will review the options and proposals for Local Government and introduce the necessary legislation for the system that will best serve our particular circumstances and fit in with other structures, namely the Executive and the National Assembly. We will have Local Government that is purposeful, with a primary role for the elected MNA as the leader of his constituency. v Eliminating Corruption It is clear that corruption has undermined government and society in our country. It has betrayed the principles of good governance, the rule of law and justice and fairness in access to opportunity. We will not allow our Government to fall into this blight and will encourage all institutions who have a role to play in fighting corruption. Cases of corruption will be investigated according to the law and following due process. - 8 - General Elections 2020 Sovereignty, Territory and Citizenship DS is committed to defending our sovereignty over the whole of our territory and will not engage in any policy or relationship that compromises this position. Likewise, we hold that citizenship is a precious right to those who are Lentitled but not to be dispensed for political, business or personal reasons. We will take the necessary steps to engage our institutions to safeguard the aspirations of the people of Seychelles in these areas.