Mancham Calls For Government of National Reconstruction
Like many Seychellois, I was puzzled to see Mr. Mancham call a Press Conference to call for a Government of National Reconstruction. He has passed the idea to me in a dinner and I listened carefully as he expounded his thoughts. I had written about this type of Government in an article in Seychelles Review two years ago and it was ignored by all sides, the SPPF and DP-SNP Alliance. We were not Bankrupt then, but I saw it coming.
Mancham has stirred a hornet's nest. But we must not be reactionary to his proposal.
SPPF HIDE BANKRUPTCY IN REFORM
We will have to wait till next year 2009 to see what will materialize out of the call. However, one thing is certain. What SPPF has done to Seychelles since 1977 is nothing short of shameful. We are officially BANKRUPT. The politics of division propagated by France Albert Rene and his entourage has only failed Seychelles. Today SPPF say we have a 2 year Reform. They said that about MERP as well. We were supposed to have become a “Bijoux” a few years ago, and now Rene has told us to wait a few more years. In reality, the Reform SPPF is talking about will last Twenty(20) years. It will likely out live them as a Party.
The next party in power will have to carry SPPF stones on its back for years to rebuild Seychelles. There will be no wishful populist subsidies as Ramkalawan asserts. There is no money. We are broke. What Mr. Ramkalawan fails to understand, is that rich countries with farmer subsidies, have money. We have no money. We are broke, Mr. Ramkalawan.
What Rene failed to understand for 32 years about carrying a national deficit to our Bankruptcy like rich countries do, is that rich countries like the United States have huge, huge private sector investments that offset the Government deficit. Here in Seychelles, our investors do not bank in our Country. They do not trust SPPF. So SPPF fails to understand why we cannot have a deficit like rich countries do. So they fail. As they fail, we pay. They want to stay in spite of being grand failures in managing our micro economy.
Why? Because they have grabbed the lion’s tail. When they release the tail, the lion will instinctively bite them. They are trying to avoid that at all cost, even sinking the ship of state in the process.
Where We Really Are Today
Today, it is becoming evident that the Seychelles under SPPF has been run on a “borrow as you go policy”. In between there has been allegations of corruption which have gone on and the People now must pay for the Government’s failures. At the time Mancham made the call for a Government of National Reconstruction, we were $1.3 Billion in debt and $ 2.5 Billion was missing according to IMF, from our coffers. Significant sums indeed. Had the money not gone missing, we would have a National Reserve of $1.2 Billion. We would not need any reconstruction. All Seychellois would in fact be very rich, just like SPPF told us for so many years. Instead, they are now telling us that we are poor and our debts, acquired under their government, are not sustainable. What a mouth full!
Where Do We Go From Here
To understand National BANKRUPTCY, think of the State being a big ship. Then picture in your mind, the big ship is broken in two and is going underwater in two halves. Then picture all the people like hoteliers, shop keepers, importers, workers, elderly, mothers, children, government employees and students ,all swimming to grab a broken piece of wood to try to remain afloat and not to drown. The bigger piece go to the ones with most money, the ones with nothing, hold on to nothing, they drown right away. Students and children promised the world, end up only with debts of the government of the day to inherit.
The ones with loans die slowly but surely. As interest rates go up, it is like a piece of drift wood breaking in half. Hence, making your survival more difficult. Those of us who rely on a fixed salary for a living, find our money cannot keep us afloat as it was suppose to, they too eventually sink like the ship.
As money falls short of requirements, we also all have to deal with increased crime, increases in mental illnesses, increase in drug use and break down of the social structure and fabric of society.
People of Seychelles, this is where we are today. This is what SPPF’s politics of division and exclusion has brought us. Ramkalawan up till now has promised to replace SPPF’s politics of division with his own brand of politics of division. But we will still have division anyway. As we divide, the ship will remain under water, Seychellois will continue to drown slowly but surely.
Those that have a family overseas will try to leave. SPPF will replace them with more foreigners. Those that stay will complain that SPPF has replaced Seychellois with foreigners.
We must go beyond the politics of Leker dan Leker, Tenir Pa Large, JJ Spirit, Lasirans, Kile, Green Bangles, and so forth. I have always advocated that. But, it is not easy. We do not even know if it is possible. You see the politics of kile, green bangles and tenir pa large are politics of division. We have enough of that.
How Do You Work With SPPF?
This is the tough question. The easy answer is this. SPPF must conduct forensic audits of all ministries and parastatals. We cannot engage with a Government that preaches Good Governance and Transparency but ignores Accountability. This is the Michel
Administration policy to date.
Those that have taken a portion of the $2.5 Billion in overseas accounts must return the money. We will use that money to rebuild our Country, together. To do that, SPPF must be brave and demonstrate enough courage to do the right thing. Do not run and hide from this moment of history. Give the money back. Then we can talk about reconstruction. We must call on Mr. Michel, to do what is right for the Country, not his Party. His Party has been the source of our failure today.
Once the money is back in the Central Bank, we can start working together. We can let the past be the past and bygones be bygones. We can allow a healing process to begin and look towards the future with a new hope and a new dawn for all Seychellois. The past was never meant to be hidden in a dark closet SPPF. When you do that you breed more failures. Face it and start to live like human beings and not a political robot.
What About Political Murders and Disappearances?
If SPPF is interested in healing the past, it will have to allow a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to be formed to investigate and take witness of past atrocities and form an opinion, instead of trying to cover the past under a carpet of deceit. Simple. These matters should be ongoing, while the country engages in pulling the ship up from under water. Reconstruction will not be overnight. It will take years and years. However, no murder should be hidden in the closets of the past in that time. No victimization should be buried under the foundation of any girlfriend’s house. It is not easy to face these things, but it is harder to go on keeping them in a dark closet, successfully.
A Word On ZOMN LIB
If there is one symbol of division and failure in Seychelles today, it is the ZOMN LIB statute. Take it home and place it in your garden SPPF. Let it adorn your lovely homes. As long as ZOMN LIB stands in our town, your dark closets will be kept shut. As long as you keep them shut, you will feel the pain of failure. Take down Zonm Lib like the Soviets took down the Lenin statues and the Iraqis took down Sadam Hussein statue.
Then we can start a new chapter.
Unless there is Accountability and you face yourselves, Seychelles will never move forward, even if you have mastered the art of stealing elections. You can steal all the elections you want; you will never be able to steal Truth. For Truth is an intangible non material matter, that does matter, and even more so, when you ignore it. To promise not to kill anymore but saying it is possible, does not make you SPPF look any better than how you are perceived in the World today.
Having said that, I believe Mr. Mancham has done what he believes is in the best interest of the Country. Now, Mr. Michel and Mr. Ramkalawan, must do what they believe is in the best interest of the Country. Just remember one thing both of you gentlemen......"the ship of state is under water....we are all drowning"......now what do you propose?
Hopefully not another loan or another subsidy!
May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!
Source: LNSW