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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday extended his heartiest congratulations to Dr. Patrick Herminie on his victory in the Presidential Elections in Seychelles, expressing confidence that the long-standing ties between India and the island nation will grow stronger under his leadership.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said, "Heartiest congratulations to Dr. Patrick Herminie on his victory in the Presidential Elections in Seychelles. The waters of the Indian Ocean are our shared heritage and nourish the aspirations and needs of our people. I am confident that our time-tested and multi-faceted relations will deepen and gain further momentum in his tenure as President. My best wishes to him for the tenure ahead." https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1977215115947606159 The Prime Minister highlighted that the Indian Ocean serves as a "shared heritage" connecting the people of both countries and supporting their aspirations. He said India looks forward to working closely with the new government in Seychelles to enhance cooperation across sectors. Opposition leader Patrick Herminie emerged victorious in the Seychelles presidential election, defeating incumbent President Wavel Ramkalawan in a closely contested runoff, according to official results released early Sunday. The election commission announced that Herminie secured 52.7 per cent of the vote, while Ramkalawan garnered 47.3 per cent. Herminie, representing the United Seychelles party, returns the political group to power after four years in opposition. The United Seychelles party had governed the country from 1977 to 2020, before losing to Ramkalawan's Linyon Demokratik Seselwa party in the last election. Ramkalawan had sought a second term but failed to retain the presidency in this vote. Early voting began on Thursday, while the majority of voters in the Indian Ocean island nation cast their ballots on Saturday, as per The Washington Post. Diplomatic ties were established with Seychelles after its independence in 1976. When Seychelles attained freedom on June 29, 1976, a contingent from the Indian Naval Ship, INS Nilgiri, took part in the Independence Day celebrations. The Indian Mission was established in 1979 in Victoria, with the High Commissioner based in Dar-es-Salaam and concurrently accredited to Seychelles, as per MEA. The first resident High Commissioner was appointed in 1987, while Seychelles opened its resident mission in New Delhi in early 2008. (ANI)
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