Striving for parliamentary democracy in Seychelles
Hon. Dr Patrick Herminie, MNA, in Victoria.
The National Assembly in Seychelles is taking all the necessary steps to reinforce its status as an institution of supreme political importance, says its Speaker.
Mr Herminie was elected as the leader of Government Business in the National Assembly during the 1998-2006 sittings.A Member of Seychelles People’s Progressive Front, he is the current Speaker of the National Assembly of Seychelles.
The present National Assembly of Seychelles, as the legislative branch of government, was created 15 years ago in 1993 with the introduction of multi-party politics in Seychelles. As an institution, it faced formi-
dable challenges in a country used to executive dominance of the govern- ment. In 2008 our country to a large extent remains trapped in that mind- set, with the National Assembly very often failing to live up to the expec- tation of the population and to deliv- er on its constitutional obligations. Its oversight role in particular is still quite constrained. It was for this reason when I was elected to the post of Speaker in May 2007, that the decision of turn-
ing the National Assembly into an institution of supreme political importance became my priority.
Towards strengthening the capacity of the National Assembly In March 2008, the National Assembly embarked on a project, with the support of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
document, under its good governance programme ‘in Support of the Capacity Building of the National Assembly of Seychelles’. The main aim of the project was
to improve the legislative process in Seychelles with a view to promoting good and democratic governance. Since the signing of the project
document, significant steps have been taken and much has been