Botswana President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi on Tuesday sent a congratulatory message to Seychelles’ newly-elected President Wavel Ramkalawan.
Masisi, also chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, said the bloc applauds Seychelles for its peaceful election campaign.
“This is a reflection of the political maturity of the country.’’
Seychelles held presidential and national assembly elections from Oct. 22 to 24.
The SADC comprises Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, eSwatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Opposition candidate, Ramkalawan, was declared the winner of the Seychelles presidential election after polling 54.9 per cent of the votes.
The last time an opposition candidate won the election in Seychelles was in 1977 and winner Ramkalawan reaffirmed a pledge to increase minimum wage after COVID-19 stifled the tourism-dependent economy.
Seychelles State House in a statement published on its website disclosed that Ramkalawan and his Vice-President, Ahmed Afif, will be inaugurated on Monday.
Ramkalawan, a former Anglican priest, defeated President Danny Faure after three decades of unsuccessful runs for the presidency of the East African nation with an Indian Ocean archipelago famed for its natural beauty and rare wildlife.
Faure got 43.5 per cent in the vote held from Thursday through Saturday, the electoral commission announced.