New President in Seychelles: VP Danny Faure to be sworn in Sunday
aTP- Arab tourism portal- (Seychelles News Agency) – Danny Faure will take the oath of office late Sunday afternoon to become Seychelles’ fourth president since the island nation gained independence from Britain.
Faure, 54, who has been Vice President, takes over from President James Michel, whose surprise resignation announced last month takes effect on Sunday.
The inauguration ceremony will take place at State House at around 5pm.
Faure, who announced his divorce earlier this week, is the father of four children.
His mandate will cover the rest of Michel’s term: four years and about three months. Michel won the presidential election in December, earning a term of five years.
The Seychelles’ constitution makes provision for the vice president to assume power in the event of the president’s death, resignation or removal from office instead of allowing for fresh elections to take place.
Faure’s career – from education, parliament to ministerial climb
Born in Uganda to Seychellois parents on May 8, 1962, Faure completed his primary and secondary education in Seychelles.
He holds a degree in political science obtained from Cuba.
Faure started his career in education in 1985, working as an assistant curriculum officer at the education ministry. He also worked as a lecturer at both the National Youth Service and the Seychelles Polytechnic.
He moved to parliament for five years, serving as leader of government business in the National Assembly from 1993 to 1998, after Seychelles saw the return of multiparty democracy.
Faure’s career as a government minister started in April 1998 when he became Minister for Education.
Other portfolios he has held over the years include youth, finance, trade and industries, public administration and information & communication technology.
It was during his time as Finance Minister that Seychelles embarked on an International Monetary Fund-backed economic reform programme and Faure was tasked with overseeing the implementation of the first generation of reforms, which ran from October 2008 to October 2013.
Faure served as designated minister between 2004 to 2010, when he became the Seychelles Vice President.
During the six years that he was Vice President, Faure ran as President Michel’s running mate in presidential elections held in 2011 and 2015.
Party involvement
The incoming president’s involvement with Parti Lepep started when he was a young man.
Faure became the chairman of the youth wing of the then Seychelles People’s Progressive Front, a party formed in June 1964, as the Seychelles People’s United Party by former Seychelles President France Albert Rene.
He was appointed Secretary General of what is today Parti Lepep in 2009, working alongside the Party Leader, outgoing President James Michel.
Faure to assume first mandate as Seychelles’ president
The Attorney General Ronny Govinden explained to SNA last month that “because the vice president takes over before the expiring of two thirds of the president’s mandate, this will be counted as one term.”
This means that in accordance with a constitutional amendment approved in April, that limits the presidential term to two five-year mandates, down from three five-year terms, Faure will then be able to stand for only one other five-year term.
Once he takes office, Faure will have to nominate his vice president and designated minister, which will need the National Assembly’s approval.
Faure has already indicated that he intends to address the National Assembly as early as Tuesday to lay out his programme.
Four presidents in 40 years
Seychelles on Sunday welcomes its fourth head of state, since it ceased to be a British colony in 1976.
James Mancham became the first president on June 29, 1976 after a coalition government was formed to take over from the British rule.
Albert Rene, who was Prime Minister at the time took over as president on June 5, 1977 following a coup that overthrew Mancham from power.
René ruled the Indian Ocean archipelago as a socialist one-party state until 1992 when a multi-party system was introduced.
He then stood for three elections and won each one of them with a large majority. He stepped down in 2004 when he handed over power to James Michel, who had served in his cabinet since 1977.
James Michel who took over as the third president in 2004, went on to win elections held in 2006, 2011 and 2015.
Michel is handing over power to his Vice President only ten months into his third and final mandate at the helm of the island nation’s government.
