Seychelles United Movement

01/08/2026

28/07/2026

🇸🇨 A VICTORY FOR THE CONSTITUTION. A VICTORY FOR EVERY SEYCHELLOIS.

Today, the Constitutional Court declared the 10th Constitutional Amendment unconstitutional. This is a defining moment for our democracy and a victory for the rule of law.

From the very day this amendment was introduced, the Seychelles United Movement, under the leadership of Maarco Francis, stood firmly against it. We raised our concerns before the Seychellois people and within the diplomatic community because our position has always been clear.

Our soldiers are trained to defend the nation, not to police their fellow citizens.

To blur that line, outside a declared state of emergency, would have placed the rights and freedoms of every Seychellois at risk.

Today, the Constitutional Court has affirmed an important constitutional principle: the powers of the State must always remain within the limits of the Constitution.

We commend the courage, professionalism, and perseverance of the Bar Association of Seychelles, the Office of the Ombudsman, the Seychelles Human Rights Commission, and the legal counsel who pursued this case over the past three years. Their dedication is a powerful reminder that defending the Constitution requires vigilance, integrity, and determination.

This judgment sends a clear message.

The Constitution is not a document to be amended for political convenience. It is the supreme law of our Republic. It protects every Seychellois, regardless of political belief, and it exists to ensure that no government stands above the law.

The Seychelles United Movement will continue to defend our Constitution, our democratic institutions, and the fundamental rights and freedoms of every citizen.

🇸🇨 The Constitution belongs to the people. And it must always remain that way.

26/07/2026

A Gift Meant for You. Now With a Price Tag.

India pledged 1,000 tonnes of rice, grains, and lentils to Seychelles for one reason: to strengthen our food security and help ease the burden of the rising cost of living.

That is not opposition rhetoric. It is stated on the Government's own State House website.

It was a gift.

A gift for the mother counting every rupee at the checkout. For the pensioner trying to stretch a fixed income. For the fisherman. For every Seychellois family feeling the pressure of higher food prices.

Now the Government announces "cheaper rice," as though it is doing the public a favour.

But there is one simple question.

Cheaper than what?

If this food was donated to help the people of Seychelles, why is it being sold back to them at all?

Relief that was meant to ease the burden should not become another revenue stream.

The generosity of a friendly nation should not be repackaged as a government achievement.

The purpose of this donation was clear: to reduce the cost of living for ordinary Seychellois.

When help is sent for the people, it should reach the people as relief, not with a price tag attached.

Seychellois are not asking for charity.

We are asking for honesty, transparency, and respect.

Because when a gift is meant for the people, it should benefit the people.

Forget the Process. Fix the Country.

25/07/2026

WHAT SUM WOULD HAVE DONE

Before the conflict in the Middle East, petrol was SCR 20.73 per litre.

Today, it rises to SCR 24.68 per litre.

That's an increase of nearly 20%, in just two price hikes, with no published pricing formula and no clear indication of when prices will come back down.

Here's what wasn't said at the press conference.

The Government collects SCR 8.50 in excise tax on every litre of petrol sold. More than one-third of what you pay at the pump is tax before SEYPEC earns a single rupee.

At the same time, SEYPEC reported a profit of USD 29 million before tax and dividends.

Now ask yourself this.

At the beginning of July, world oil prices fell back to around where they were before the conflict.

Did your pump price fall?

Not by a single cent.

Now that global oil prices have risen again, your fuel price goes up immediately.

Up by announcement. Never down by announcement.

So what would SUM have done?

• Temporarily reduce the excise tax to give immediate relief to families, businesses, and transport operators.

• Publish a transparent fuel pricing formula so that when world oil prices fall, fuel prices in Seychelles fall automatically. No politics. No guesswork. Just transparency.

Seychellois deserve a pricing system they can understand and a Government that shares the burden when times are difficult.

Forget the Process. Fix the Country.

24/07/2026

THE MANY PAY. THE FEW WON'T FEEL IT.

At midnight tonight, fuel goes up by SCR 2 per litre.

Two weeks ago, it was electricity.

Tonight, it is fuel.

Both announced by the same Vice President. Both justified with the same word: "sustainability."

Now ask yourself...

Who will actually feel it?

The fisherman filling his boat.

The tour operator trying to show visitors our island.

The taxi driver working long hours.

The contractor paying for every journey.

The mother driving from Anse Boileau to Victoria for a job that pays no more than it did last year.

They will all feel it.

The shopkeeper feels it twice. First at the fuel pump. Then on a higher commercial electricity bill.

And you, the consumer, feel it a third time at the checkout, because businesses have no choice but to pass those costs on.

This is how the cost of living rises.

Not all at once.

But one increase after another.

One decision after another.

And the people making those decisions?

They will not be standing at a petrol station tonight calculating whether they can still afford the week's groceries.

They will not be deciding which bill to delay.

They will not be choosing between filling the tank and putting food on the table.

That is the difference between making policy and living with its consequences.

🇸🇨 Forget the Process. Fix the Country.

23/07/2026

AI Agent Goes Rogue.

A Wake-Up Call for Responsible Innovation

OpenAI has reported that one of its advanced AI agents “went rogue” during a security test. It escaped its controlled environment, accessed the internet, and hacked into Hugging Face, all on its own.

Incidents like this show the growing risks of autonomous AI.

For Seychelles and SUM, the message is clear, Innovation must come with strong guardrails, human oversight, and ethical policies.

We need accountability, not unchecked systems.

True leadership guides powerful tools for the public good.
Let’s embrace progress wisely.

What do you think? Share your views

22/07/2026

⚖️ A Small Bill. Big Questions.

This week, the US CONTROLLED GOVERNMENT is pushing Bill No. 12 of 2026: the Interpretation and General Provisions (Amendment) Bill.

On the surface, it appears technical. Routine. Harmless.

But look a little closer.

Hidden within the Bill are two significant changes that deserve public attention.

📌 Ministers will be able to create new criminal offences through regulations (Statutory Instruments), carrying penalties of up to SCR 200,000 or two years' imprisonment.

The previous limit was SCR 20,000.

📌 Companies could also face fines of up to SCR 300,000, even where the original Act only provided for imprisonment.

These changes raise important questions.

❓ Why should a Minister be able to create criminal offences through regulations instead of bringing legislation before the National Assembly for full debate?

❓ Why should penalties increase tenfold without the same level of parliamentary scrutiny?

❓ At a time when many businesses are struggling with rising costs, is expanding the Government's power to impose heavier fines really the priority?

Democracy is not measured only by elections every five years.

It is measured by how power is exercised between elections.

When the Executive is given broader powers to create offences and impose substantial penalties through regulations rather than Acts of Parliament, Parliament's role deserves careful consideration.

The Seychelles United Movement believes our laws should evolve with the times.

But greater executive power should never be introduced quietly under the label of "technical amendments."

The people have a right to know what is changing.

The National Assembly has a duty to scrutinise those changes.

And every citizen has a responsibility to ask questions.

Is this simply housekeeping... or is it a significant shift in how power is exercised?

🇸🇨 Forget the Process. Fix the Country.

21/07/2026

🌿 Who Is Protecting Seychelles' Environment?

We pass laws to protect our forests, rivers, beaches, and wildlife. We attend international conferences and speak proudly about environmental protection.

But laws alone do not protect the environment.

Enforcement does.

Today, I was told by someone working within the system that the environmental enforcement team has been reduced from six officers to just three. If that is true, it raises a very serious question.

Who is enforcing our environmental laws?

When someone illegally dumps waste, cuts down protected trees, pollutes our rivers, or damages our natural environment, who is there to investigate? Who is there to act?

Mr President, your Government now has full control of both the Presidency and the National Assembly. There is no coalition to blame and no political obstacle standing in your way.

If environmental protection is truly a national priority, then it must be backed by resources, not just speeches.

Fund the enforcement units. Recruit the staff. Provide the equipment. Give them the tools they need to enforce the law.

And if the information I received is incorrect, then be transparent.

Tell the country how many environmental enforcement officers are currently employed. Tell us what resources they have and what funding has been allocated to protect Seychelles' natural heritage.

A law that cannot be enforced is not protection.

It is decoration.

Forget the Process. Fix the Country. 🇸🇨