Seychelles Independent, new paper on the stands

Seychelles Independent, new paper on the stands

05-September-2014
Since last week, a new weekly newspaper has hit the local stands.

The cover page of the first copy of the Seychelles IndependentSeychelles Independent is published by a new publication company called Au Cap publications and is edited by the former editor of the Seychelles Weekly, Ralph Volcere.

Our reporter met Mr Volcere this week and he explained to us that he has left his former newspaper to create a new one in order to be able to be more independent in his reporting:

“All papers published in Seychelles have an affiliation of some kind, either to government, political parties or businesses. We needed a really independent paper. I felt I could do it for the people of Seychelles by offering them independent reporting. As you see, our motto reads ‘Obligation to the people of Seychelles takes precedence over loyalty to an individual’”.

As Mr Volcere has since a very young age been involved in politics, rising up to the ranks of leader of the Democratic Party (DP) and the Seselwa United Party (SUP), will he be able to maintain this independence? This is how he defended his position.

“The most burning issue on my heart is Seychelles. Seychelles is not our personal belonging, but we have to protect it economically, socially as well as physically for next generation of Seychellois. As the Seychelles Weekly editor there were certain things I could not speak about. In this political position you cannot shoot at your own men or score in your own goal. There is an unwritten rule that a battle against something wrong cannot be fought at one end and let to spread at the other. This is the case for opposition papers which cannot write against certain ills. This cannot be tolerated”.

So what do readers expect to see in the columns of Seychelles Independent?

Mr. Volcere gladly provided the details as he guided us through the paper, revealing the pages: politics, business/economy, legal affairs, miscellaneous and international news.

He adds than the 10-page paper will later move to 1 pages with more advertising:

“We will talk about corruption wherever it may happen; in government, businesses and also in the opposition. It is also important to tackle the problems which exist in the legal industry, with the judiciary as well as legal practitioners. There is a premise that nobody can go after the lawyers as they are untouchable. Legal practitioners must operate in an open, transparent, accountable manner and also provide good service. Society is not only about people but also about what people do. Legal affairs are an important part of a country’s foundation. If they do not function well society will be imbalanced. One of our main tasks is to clean up the legal system. I encourage all persons who have problems with lawyers to contact us,” he said.

The editor who has often faced defamation charges in the past insists that we must not be afraid to say the truth. He at the same time requested for a change in related laws, especially as a new Chief Justice is about to be appointed.

“Things are starting to change. Change may not be happening fast enough but as editors we must all play our role to make good and quick change. I think that freedom of speech has improved as Pure FM and even SBC are talking openly about anything. It is different from the past and we are moving in the right direction. We must acknowledge this fact and at the same time we must not be afraid to say the truth. We must reach a stage where there is no contest for the truth. Also, laws have to be relooked at in order to favour freedom of the press. While the outgoing Chief Justice has done a good job, the new one must take our legislation to the next level,” he said.

Coming back to the newspaper’s name, it surely relays the same independence philosophy. However we were keen to ask its editor the reason for the choice as another printing media had carried such name in the past.

“Yes, this other newspaper belonged to Mr Percy Ah-Mane but it was not registered as a business name. It only had a license to publish as a newspaper. So when he stopped publishing and the license was revoked, anyone could take the name”.

As a word of conclusion which also sounds as a warning, Mr Volcere promises the new born of the Seychelles media family “will be investigating profoundly from both sides”.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=242903

We addressed the issues by way of article and comment upon Mr Ahman starting the Independent News paper and followed it closely - again today more so want to remind Mr Ralph Volcer then running Half Way House Pub. Our exile community ought to know a great deal more even if we were not meant to write and share the issues in pubic - our contribution that those started that Newspaper. It was to do do with certain political issues and views we represented compare to other media - what it take to get/become involved in such process. We are linking Wikipedia article here what they write as history and facts. You just do not walk away from such issues and workings. {In Sechelles Seychelles then USSR many officials including KGB it was about that SIROP program political affiliation other leading Intelligence Services around the world including the CIA, Mossad - political crapping in London - this/it is not amusing that a Russian acquire it and the Russian community in Seychelles

today} http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Independent

President James Michel’s State-of-the-Nation address 2015

‘Seychelles, a nation on the move’

President James Michel delivered his 11th State-of-the-Nation Address to the Seychelles National Assembly yesterday afternoon, placing emphasis on the principles of patriotism, empowerment, national unity, social harmony, solidarity, entrepreneurial spirit, and family values for the development of Seychelles’ economic and social wellbeing.

Mr Michel said the world economy in 2014 remained fragile, with a particularly poor performance in the Euro zone which impacted negatively on the Seychelles economy, which relies mainly on tourism, where the gross domestic product (GDP) was 2.8% – smaller than was predicted – mainly because of a reduction in activities related to tourism and industrial production.

He said that 2014 was a year of challenges for the tourism sector. Although there was a 1% increase in the number of tourists, there was a reduction of 3% in the number of visitors from Europe, estimating that tourism revenues were 5% lower in 2014 than in the preceding year.

In terms of expansion in the tourism sector, Mr Michel said that there was an increase in the number of hotel establishments from 426 in 2013 to 467 in 2014. Over 60% of those establishments are owned or managed entirely by Seychellois.

Concerning the balance of payments, the Seychelles deficit in 23% of the Gross National Product, with foreign exchange reserves rising from US $425 million in 2013 to US $464 million in 2014. This represents the equivalent of four months importation, compared to 2008, when the foreign exchange reserves represented the equivalent of only three weeks' importation.

With regard to external debt payments, foreign exchange reserves represent about 94% of the external debt.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=244648

State-of-the-Nation Address by President James Alix Michel, February 26, 2015

27-February-2015

President Michel delivering his State-of-the-Nation address yesterday‘Let us rededicate ourselves to the progress of our country and the wellbeing of our people’

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=244649

Comment - What say,  we had gone to the police in 1960's and told them what we knew about then SPUP/today SPPF/PL - FA Rene could/would have found himself behind bars or a very big scandal and that super load of Manure  and his people just will not change.

They just go on cashing and creaming off everything.

When we wrote that SIROP program in 1987 - we had spent some 6 years or more studying the issues of those governments be it the USA, Germany, France Britain  propaganda and Italy  Second world war and the Cold War. . Just because SPPF/PL have been dealing with a populace who just do not realize they have been taken for a very long ride  the issues of that SIROP program is creating and causing major embarrassment to several leading nations  and they have giant resources and yet in Seychelles how they just keep on the charade. - nobody question them those form the SCCI are a bunch of ..... no country can go on working with /upon such highly corrupted formula. Unless they have become better that Columbia or Sicily or Russia itself. What must we do to tell you President J A Michel that shirt you are wearing is not yours polite spoken.

Do not say we have a very filthy mouth and we will be taken to Grand bassin to get our mouth wash. The corruption issues we have addressed at that SIROP website is just a pin head.   ( In France alone having addressed the issues of the Nord Pas de Calais development - we helped President FA Mitterrand to put that mega project together and other highly important economic issues and those coming from Reunion to Seychelles and the fishing Industry isues, from a technical approach once you have been involved in such high process/workings/participations, useless you/one is hit by illness/calamity or the such - the ability to use past experience to build on bigger and more complex projects/currently. The former Carrefour business model now being taken over - staling the shell of another Crab we say this in Old Seychelles. In Seychelles we have a major situation - "the concept/approach of having learned/teach monkey to eat nugat Tante Falvie Jackson will retort" - meaning the psychological mode surrounding business, economic and financial approach among our black brothers and sisters in Seychelles. In Sri lanka, those who have worked hard to get the government Leaders to Account and Mauritius, they had set the same mode in place/ yet Seychelles, then we get those form UN, EU, African Union and the USA loosing their marble at us and our workings - if this persist we will have to adopt an very African approach and they had all better learn . ) President Reagan and Bush Senior know and ought to know too well.

Given the nature of corruption Dr Ramgoolam you are a fool - judge you were wiser- you are being very daft, failing - when they opened that safe and other big suitcase President J A Michel should have been in there - the Mauritius police would have had a good laugh all Police enjoy a good laugh/joke.

All those in Seychelles who think we are doing great/super why are we at this juncture