Wavel Ramkalawan President of Seychelles since 26 October 2020 Date of Birth: 15.03.1961

1. The Early Life of Wavel Ramkalawan
2. Education and the Priesthood
3. The Call to Politics
4. Political Career

The Early Life of Wavel Ramkalawan

Wavel Ramkalawan, the current President of the Seychelles, was born on the largest island of the Seychelles archipelago, Mahé, on March 15, 1961, to a modest family. His father worked as a tinsmith, while his mother was a teacher. Wavel was the youngest of three children, and his grandfather hailed from the Indian state of Bihar.

Education and the Priesthood

Ramkalawan received his primary and secondary education at Seychelles College, a prestigious boys' school. He was ordained as a priest in 1985 after completing his studies at St. Paul's Theological College in Mauritius. He furthered his theological studies at the University of Birmingham.

The Call to Politics

Upon returning to the Seychelles, Ramkalawan held appointments in several parishes, rising to the position of Vicar of the Holy Saviour's Church. His work as a priest brought him into contact with individuals who had suffered political repression and human rights violations under the ruling dispensation. At the time, the Catholic and Anglican churches were the only institutions that could communicate with the people on social issues, as they were permitted to address these topics in their weekly sermons, which were broadcast on national radio on Sundays.

In 1990, Ramkalawan delivered a sermon that was aired on the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation's national radio station, in which he questioned the actions of the one-party government and advocated for greater freedom, respect for human rights, and the rule of law. Despite the broadcast being cut short, he continued to distribute copies of his critique on government policies. In 1991, while still a priest, he joined forces with fellow dissidents Roger Mancienne and Jean-François Ferrari to form the underground Parti Seselwa, becoming its first leader.

Political Career

When the government, facing internal and international pressure, restored multi-party democracy in 1992, Parti Seselwa emerged as the first registered opposition political party. However, in the 1992 Constituent Assembly elections, Parti Seselwa garnered only 4% of the vote, failing to win any seats. In 1993, following the adoption of a new constitution, two other opposition parties joined forces with Parti Seselwa to form the United Opposition for the general elections. The United Opposition received 9% of the vote, allowing it to appoint one member (Wavel Ramkalawan) to the National Assembly.

In 1998, Ramkalawan led his party in the Seychelles general election. The party won 27% of the vote nationwide and increased its representation in the National Assembly to three seats, surpassing the Seychelles Democratic Party of former President James Mancham to become the third largest party. Ramkalawan became the party's first directly elected member of the National Assembly, winning the St. Louis constituency, which he has consistently represented since. He also succeeded James Mancham as Leader of the Opposition, a position he held until 2020. In the 2001 presidential election, Ramkalawan received 45% of the vote, while his opponent, France-Albert René, obtained 54%.

In 2002, he led the Seychelles National Party in the National Assembly parliamentary elections. The party increased its representation in the National Assembly from one directly elected member to seven and from two proportionally elected members to four. In 2005, he took a leave of absence from his priestly duties to fully dedicate himself to political life, believing that it was a crucial and critical time for the country. However, he lost to James Michel in the 2006 and 2011 presidential elections. Along with other major opposition parties, he boycotted the 2011 parliamentary elections.

In the 2015 presidential elections, Ramkalawan and Michel proceeded to a second round, the first time in Seychelles history that there had been a presidential election runoff. Ramkalawan lost to his opponent, securing 49.85% of the vote and losing by a margin of 193 votes. In the 2020 general elections, Ramkalawan triumphed over incumbent President Danny Faure. According to the Electoral Commission, he won 54.9% of the vote. The election marked the first peaceful transfer of power since the Seychelles gained independence in 1976.