The Republic of Seychelles has had five presidents since it gained independence. However, the president serves for five years, and as of 2021, the country has a two-term limit for presidents. Yet, no president has reached this limit.
The first president, James Mancham, served from 1976 to 1977. After him, France-Albert René took office and served for a long time. The most recent presidents are Danny Faure and Wavel Ramkalawan, who took office in 2020.
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Complete List Of Seychelles Presidents From 1976 Till Date
No | Name | Took Office | Left Office | Political Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sir James Mancham | June 29, 1976 | June 5, 1977 | Seychelles Democratic Party (SDP) |
2 | France-Albert René | June 5, 1977 | July 14, 2004 | Seychelles People's United Party (SPUP) / Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF) |
3 | James Michel | July 14, 2004 | October 16, 2016 | People's Progressive Front (PP) |
4 | Danny Faure | October 16, 2016 | October 26, 2020 | United Seychelles (US) |
5 | Wavel Ramkalawan | October 26, 2020 | Incumbent | Seychelles National Party (SNP) |
First President Of Seychelles
Sir James Mancham was the first president of Seychelles, serving from 29 June 1976 to 5 June 1977. He was born into a wealthy family on 11 August 1939 in Victoria, British Seychelles.
His father, Richard Mancham, was a successful businessman who sent James to study law in England. After returning, James founded the Seychelles Democratic Party (SDP) to prepare the country for independence.
He became the Chief Minister in 1970 and later the Prime Minister in 1975. When Seychelles gained independence from Britain in 1976, Mancham became the country’s first president.
During his time in office, he developed the economy and promoted tourism. He was responsible for building the first airport, which made the islands more accessible to the world.
However, In June 1977, while attending a Commonwealth meeting in London, he was overthrown in a coup led by Prime Minister France-Albert René, who then became president.
After the coup, Mancham lived in exile in London until 1992. He later returned to Seychelles and continued to work in tourism.
He ran for president again in 1993 and 1998 but lost both times. Mancham also wrote several books, including Paradise Raped, which detailed the coup.
James Mancham was married twice and had three children. Sadly, he passed away on 8 January 2017, at the age of 77, due to a possible stroke, and he was buried at the State House cemetery.
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Current Presidents Of Seychelles
Wavel Ramkalawan is the current President of Seychelles. He took office on October 26, 2020, becoming the country’s fifth president.
His victory in the 2020 presidential election was the first peaceful transfer of power to an opposition leader since Seychelles gained independence in 1976.
Ramkalawan won the election with 54.9% of the vote, defeating the former president, Danny Faure. Born on March 15, 1959, in Mahé, Seychelles, Ramkalawan’s father was a tinsmith and his mother was a teacher.
He attended Seychelles College and later studied theology at St. Paul’s Theological College in Mauritius and the University of Birmingham in the UK.
In 1985, he became an Anglican priest and worked in several parishes in Seychelles. Ramkalawan joined politics in 1990 after delivering a bold sermon criticizing the one-party government and calling for human rights and the rule of law.
In 1991, he co-founded the Parti Seselwa, which later became the Seychelles National Party (SNP). He was a Member of Parliament and the Leader of the Opposition for many years, from 1998 to 2011 and again from 2016 to 2020.
During this time, he participated in different elections, coming close to victory in the 2015 presidential runoff but losing by a small margin.
However, Ramkalawan has improved governance, promoted democracy, and addressed the needs of the people. He also holds additional portfolios, including Defense, Legal Affairs, and National Security. Ramkalawan is married to Linda Ramkalawan, and they have three children.
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Vice Current Presidents Of Seychelles
Ahmed Afif is the current Vice President of Seychelles, having taken office on October 27, 2020. He serves under President Wavel Ramkalawan and succeeded Vincent Meriton in this role.
Afif was born on January 6, 1967, in Mahé, Seychelles, and is of Maldivian descent. His father, Abdullah Afif, was once the President of the United Suvadive Republic from 1959 to 1963. Afif’s mother is Aneesa Ali.
Ahmed Afif studied at Warwick University in the United Kingdom, earning a degree in Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics, and Economics.
Before joining politics, he worked in banking and was the chairman of NouvoBanq Seychelles and the Seychelles Savings Bank.
Afif first entered politics in 2006 when he was elected to Seychelles’ National Assembly, representing the Anse Etoile Constituency. In 2015, he ran as the vice-presidential candidate alongside Patrick Pillay in the presidential election.
Later, he joined the Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS) party and became the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly in 2018.
After the LDS won the 2020 general elections, Afif became Vice President. One of his major duties is to oversee Information and Information Communication Technology.
As Vice President, Ahmed Afif works closely with the President to lead the country and address important national issues.
