Ramkalawan once again makes history
Five years after his triumphant arrival at State House, Wavel Ramkalawan leaves the presidency of Seychelles after serving a single term, defeated by Patrick Herminie in the October 2025 presidential election. This electoral setback marks the end of a political cycle and a pivotal moment in the nation’s history, symbolising both the maturity of Seychelles’ democracy and the volatility of its electorate.
The 2020 election will be remembered as a major turning point. After more than 30 years in opposition, Wavel Ramkalawan, leader of Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS), succeeded in dethroning the once-dominant United Seychelles (US), the party that had ruled the country almost continuously since independence. His victory symbolised the hope of profound change. Greater transparency, good governance, and the moralization of public life. During his presidency, Mr Ramkalawan pledged to restore trust in public institutions, strengthen social justice, and promote fairer management of national resources. He seemed to embody the renewal long awaited by a large segment of the Seychellois population, weary of decades of nearly uninterrupted single-party rule. However, as his term progressed, the realities of governance proved far more complex. The economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, rising living costs, and several unpopular reforms eroded the president’s popularity. Despite progress in the fight against drugs and efforts to revitalise the public sector, many voters criticised his government for lacking closeness to the people, a clear economic vision, and tangible results on the ground.
As the 2025 election approached, the political climate grew increasingly tense. United Seychelles, now under the leadership of Dr Patrick Herminie, skillfully capitalised on public dissatisfaction, repositioning itself as a credible alternative. The party managed to rally both those nostalgic for past stability and those attracted by its message of modernisation and national reconciliation. The October 2025 election confirmed this shift: Patrick Herminie won 52.7% of the vote against 47.3% for the outgoing president, sealing United Seychelles’ return to power. This spectacular reversal, just five years after what was considered a historic defeat, illustrates the vitality of Seychellois democracy and the electorate’s ability to reward or punish leaders based on their performance.
For Wavel Ramkalawan, this defeat marks the end of a long political journey that began in the 1990s. After fighting for more than three decades to reach power, he now joins former President Danny Faure among the few Seychellois leaders to have served only one term. The return of the US with Dr Herminie to the presidency opens a new chapter in Seychelles’ political life. One filled with high expectations, economic challenges, and hopes for national reconciliation.
