Formation of new political parties: Mancham clarifies his position

31.08.2011

It was in 1962 that I founded the Seychelles Democratic Party which as we know was one of two leading political parties in Seychelles and in fact the majority party when Seychelles attained its independence on June 29, 1976.

As a believer in the concept of democracy, I welcome the news that a new party has been founded in Seychelles under the leadership of Mr David Pierre which has been called the Popular Democratic Party.

Against the background of the existence already of a party styled the New Democratic Party (under the leadership of Mr Ralph Volcère) and the Seychelles Freedom Party (under the leadership of Mr Christopher Gill), both of whom were once part of the Democratic Party establishment which I had founded, I believe it is opportune for me to make clear that I am no more involved in partisan politics and therefore in no way associated with any of these new political formations.

For some time now, I have considered it to be in the better national interest of Seychelles for me to assume the position of statesman rather than a mere party leader. The difference between a party leader and a statesman is that a party leader is mostly interested in power and the next election, whereas a statesman is interested in the transformation of the society, the next generation and the long-term stability of the nation.

James R. Mancham