President James Michel officially opened the 14th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (Africa Region), at the International Conference Centre of Seychelles, Victoria, this morning. Mr. Michel commended the Speaker of the National Assembly of Seychelles, Doctor Patrick Herminie and his team of collaborators for the good organization and hosting of this conference.

The President stressed to the delegates of Commonwealth countries the importance of this conference, highlighting that it provides an opportunity for them to exchange experiences of best practices.

“It has long been held that democracy, in principle and practice, will never wear the cloak of perfection. A “one-size-fits-all” democracy simply does not exist – and never will – since each country is defined by its history, and political and cultural traditions. But our core values, the sanctity of human life, social justice, access to education, healthcare, decent housing, government for the people and by the people, a participatory approach in decision-making, accountability, transparency … are not negotiable,” said the President during his opening address.

Furthermore, President Michel reminded the members of the parliaments of their code of ethics, their responsibilities as well as the need for leadership to face new challenges and threats such as piracy and climate change.

The President urged the delegates to establish better linkages among themselves as well as enhancing cooperation between their respective institutions.

“… I would like to reiterate the common ideals which our parliaments should remain faithful to: namely the security, the prosperity, the welfare, the human rights and the dignity of our people. These are inalienable rights. Many challenges lie ahead as we steadily advance these rights. But they are not insurmountable. And it is our firm belief that when we harness the potential of all citizens they shall prevail. Achieving these noble ideals is within our grasp as we work together, share responsibility and take timely action. Parliament, far from being just a legislative body, represents first and foremost the aspirations of a well-informed electorate. That is after all why parliamentarians were elected, nominated and empowered by the people: to give the populace a voice and a choice,” said the President.

During his opening address, President Michel also noted that Seychelles has one of the highest percentages of women parliamentarians in the world. Forty percent of the National Assembly of Seychelles is composed of women. He said that this has been possible by empowering the women through socio-economic programmes.

The President announced that the National Assembly of Seychelles will soon be a member of the African Parliament.

"As I speak, the National Assembly of Seychelles is accomplishing the procedures to become a fully-fledged member of the African Parliament. In addition, we are sustaining crucial efforts in transforming the SADC Parliamentary Forum into a regional parliament. Meanwhile, we remain fully engaged with other international legislative bodies such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union and, of course, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. We will continue to collaborate with all these international organisations in advancing our nation’s interests, while respecting our national specificities,”

Other prominent speakers during the opening ceremony were the Speaker of the National Assembly of Seychelles, Doctor Patrick Herminie and the Speaker of the Parliament of Tanzania, Mrs. Anne Semamba Makinda.

Editor's Note:

• The opening ceremony was also attended by Honourable Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Parliaments of the Commonwealth Countries of Africa, the Vice President, Mr. Danny Faure, Seychelles Cabinet of Ministers and other distinguished guests.

• The Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (Africa Region) is held every two years.

• It’s main objectives are as follows:

- The maintenance, fostering and encouragement of impartiality and fairness of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Parliaments;

- The promotion of knowledge and understanding of parliamentary democracy in various forms

- The development of parliamentary institutions

• Membership of the Conference is to Speakers and Presiding Officers of the National Parliaments of all independent sovereign states of the Commonwealth of Nations in the Africa Region. Currently, it consists of 7 bicameral parliaments and 12 unicameral parliaments – a total of 26 members from the following countries: Botswana, Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.