Herminie’s win gives his United Seychelles party full control of government after it reclaimed a parliamentary majority during last month’s general elections.
Seychelles’s opposition leader, Patrick Herminie, has emerged victorious in the country’s presidential election, defeating incumbent Wavel Ramkalawan in a run-off vote, the nation’s electoral commission confirmed.
Official results released early Sunday showed Herminie securing 52.7 percent of the vote, compared with 47.3 percent for Ramkalawan.
In his victory speech at the electoral commission headquarters, Herminie pledged to lower the cost of living, restore public services, and unite the island nation. “The people have spoken,” the 62-year-old said. “I am deeply humbled by the trust the people have placed in me. I will be the president of all Seychellois and end divisions by giving everyone the opportunity to thrive.”
Herminie’s win gives his United Seychelles party full control of government after it reclaimed a parliamentary majority during last month’s general elections. The victory also marks a dramatic turnaround for Herminie, who in 2023 was arrested on charges of witchcraft, later dropped. He previously served as speaker of the Seychelles parliament from 2007 to 2016.
Ramkalawan, who attended the announcement, congratulated Herminie, saying, “I leave with a legacy that makes many presidents blush… I hope President Herminie continues to maintain such a level.” Photographs published by the Seychelles Nation showed the two leaders shaking hands following the announcement.
Thousands of Herminie’s supporters gathered outside the electoral commission headquarters, waving flags and party banners as they celebrated his victory, according to social media footage.
The presidential race was decided in a run-off after no candidate achieved an outright majority in the first round two weeks ago. While early voting began on Thursday, most citizens cast their ballots on Saturday.
Herminie and Ramkalawan ran vigorous campaigns addressing issues such as environmental degradation and rising drug addiction. Ramkalawan campaigned on his record of economic recovery and expanded social protections following the COVID-19 pandemic. Herminie, meanwhile, criticized his opponent for corruption and vowed to cancel a controversial hotel project threatening a UNESCO-listed coral atoll.
Herminie has also pledged to lower the retirement age from 65 to 63 and implement recommendations from a truth and reconciliation commission examining human rights abuses linked to a 1977 coup. A trained physician, he previously headed the government’s anti-drug agency and has promised to tackle the country’s heroin addiction crisis. Estimates suggest 5,000–10,000 people use heroin in the island nation of around 120,000 residents.
Seychelles, composed of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, is Africa’s wealthiest country per capita. It is a prime tourist destination and a focus for investment and security partnerships with China, Gulf nations, and India.
