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Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles
conventional short form: Seychelles
Data code: SE
Government type: republic
Capital: Victoria
Administrative divisions: 23 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Louis, Anse Royale, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand' Anse (on Mahe), Grand' Anse (on Praslin), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka
Independence: 29 June 1976 (from UK)
National holiday: National Day, 18 June (1993) (adoption of the constitution)
Constitution: 18 June 1993
Legal system: based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law
Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977);
note—the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June
1977); note—the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 20-22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2003)
election results: President France Albert RENE reelected; percent
of vote—France Albert RENE (SPPF) 61%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN (UO)
27%, Sir James MANCHAM (DP) 12%
Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (35 seats—25 elected
by popular vote, 10 allocated on a proportional basis to parties
winning at least nine percent of the vote; members serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 20-22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party
(elected)—SPPF 24, DP 1; seats by party (awarded)—SPPF
6, DP 1, UO 3
note: the 10 awarded seats are apportioned according to the share
of each party in the total vote
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, judges are appointed by the president; Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: ruling party—Seychelles People's Progressive Front or SPPF [France Albert RENE]; Democratic Party or DP [leader NA]; United Opposition or UO [Wavel RAMKALAWAN]—a coalition of the following parties: Seychelles Party or PS [Wavel RAMKALAWAN], Seychelles Democratic Movement or MSPD [Jacques HONDOUL], and Seychelles Liberal Party or SLP [Ogilvie BERLOUIS]; New Democratic Party [Christopher GILL (former member of DP)]
Political pressure groups and leaders: trade unions; Roman Catholic Church
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in
the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Claude MOREL
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785
FAX: [1] (212) 972-1786
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Seychelles
Flag description: five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side