Seychelles leader retires
2004-04-14 12:13
Nairobi - The president of the island-nation Seychelles, Albert Rene, stepped down Wednesday, 27 years after seizing power in a coup.
His successor, vice-president James Michel, was to be sworn in later in the day, local media reported.
"I know that the new president is a capable person and knows exactly what to do. This is the right time for me to retire," Rene told the Seychelles Nation newspaper.
Although Rene, 69, seized power by force, he returned the Seychelles to multi-party democracy in 1993.
Rene has been criticized for mismanaging the country's economy. The only opposition party in parliament Seychelles National Party (SNP) said in a statement they hoped the new president would address the economic situation.
The future president, Michel, who started out as a teacher, joined Rene's Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF) party in 1974 and is the longest serving minister in the government. He will be the country's third-ever president since independence in 1976.
The Seychelles, with its pristine white beaches, underwater fauna and untouched tropical forests, relies heavily on tourism, but has seen a drop in visitors during the last year. Twenty per cent of the country's workforce is employed in the tourism sector.
The next elections in the Seychelles will be held in 2006. - Sapa-DPA
- SAPA