Patrick Herminie defeats Wavel Ramkalawan in Seychelles presidential runoff

Seychelles, a small island nation in the Indian Ocean, held a presidential runoff election on Saturday, October 11, 2025, after no candidate secured the necessary majority in the initial election two weeks earlier. A significant portion of voters participated in deciding between incumbent President Wavel Ramkalawan and his challenger Patrick Herminie, leader of the United Seychelles party. The competition was anticipated as a close race, given that the previous election saw Herminie garner 48.8% of the votes compared to Ramkalawan's 46.4%. Early voting was conducted from Thursday, with a majority of citizens casting their ballots on Saturday as polling stations opened early in the morning. The results of the runoff were declared early on Sunday, confirming a victory for Herminie, who received 52.7% of the votes against Ramkalawan's 47.3%. As Herminie addressed the public post-election, he expressed gratitude for the trust bestowed upon him by the Seychellois people, emphasizing his commitment to addressing the concerns raised during his campaign, such as environmental damage and a rising drug addiction crisis in the nation. Historically, Herminie’s party last governed Seychelles from 1977 to 2020 and was striving to regain power after being out of office for five years. The newly elected president's plans and policies will now be scrutinized, particularly regarding contentious issues like foreign investment and sovereignty, as local activists have opposed the recent leasing of land to foreign companies for development. This election underscores a shift in Seychelles' political landscape, marked by growing opposition to the existing governing party and the re-emergence of the United Seychelles party, signaling a desire for change among voters in this affluent yet vulnerable island nation.