Profile of the President of the Republic
Mr. James Alix
Michel |
James Alix Michel was born in Mahé, Seychelles, on 16th August 1944. He is married, and has one son and a daughter.
His eldest son passed away at an early age. He completed his secondary education in Victoria in 1959 and attended the teacher training college from 1960 to 1961. He taught for two years before joining the telecommunications company Cable & Wireless, the trade union movement and the hotel industry.
From 1974 to 1977, James Michel was a member of the Executive Committee of the Seychelles People’s United Party (SPUP), the predecessor of the ruling Seychelles People’s Progressive Front (SPPF).
In 1978 he became a member of the Central Executive Committee of the newly formed SPPF. He became deputy secretary general of the SPPF in 1984 and secretary-general in 1994, a party post which he occupied until June 2009. On June 2nd 2009, SPPF was rebranded as Parti Lepep (People’s Party) and he was elected its president.
He was running mate in the presidential elections of 1998 and 2001 and was Vice-President from August 1996 to April 2004. He succeeded Mr. France Albert René as President upon the retirement of the latter in April 2004 and was elected to the highest office in July 2006.
President Michel presently has portfolio responsibilities for Foreign Affairs, Defence, Police, Legal Affairs and Information.
James Michel was, until he became President, the longest serving minister in Seychelles. His first ministerial appointment was in June 1977 when he was given the responsibilities for public administration and information. As Minister for Information, he promoted the development of a modern telecommunications system in Seychelles and that of the media. In his long career, he also held the portfolios for Education, Finance, Communications, Defence, Culture and Sports.
In 1993 he was appointed First Designated Minister, a constitutional post in which he discharged the functions of the Office of the President during the absence of the Head of State. He also held the portfolios for Education, Finance, Communications and Defence.
James Michel was responsible for the democratization of the islands’ education system in the early 1980s. Today all Seychellois children have access to a minimum 13 years of non-fee paying education and equal opportunities to learning. A keen educationalist, President Michel was directly involved in the creation of the University of Seychelles. At the establishment of the university on 17th September 2009, he was named its chancellor.
One of his greatest achievements as President has been the revitalization and reform of the Seychelles economy. In October 2008 he embarked on an economic reform programme, undertaken with vigor and far-reaching impact, unprecedented in Seychelles history.
The Seychelles rupee was floated, and a heavily front-loaded programme, that included a reduction of the public workforce, fiscal, structural and legal reforms, was implemented with the backing of a two-year IMF Stand-by Arrangement. One year following the reforms full macro-stabilization has been achieved, as reflected through falling interest rates, curbing of inflation, and a considerable appreciation of the exchange rates, underpinned by strong fiscal and monetary policies.
In October 2009 President James Michel was awarded the UNESCO Gold Medal of the Five Continents in recognition of the work achieved by the President for his devotion to the ideals of peace, tolerance and his work to sensitize the international community about the vulnerability of Small Island Developing States.
President Michel is also the Patron of the Seychelles University Foundation, the Seychelles Football Federation the Seychelles Scouts Association and lately the Jj Spirit Foundation.
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**December Issue Now Available**
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Mayor from Korea at State House March 2, 2010 |
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Message of condolence to Chile March 2, 2010 |
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President Michel presente ses condoleances au President Sarkozy March 2, 2010 |
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We are stronger and more determined in 2010 - President Michel Feb 26, 2010 |
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State-of-the-nation address tomorrow Feb 25, 2010 |
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President commends SBC for professional broadcasting Feb 24, 2010 |
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Together, Ready for the Future theme launched Feb 22, 2010 |
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Visite d’adieu du Monseigneur Augustin Kasujja Feb 17, 2010 |
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Swearing-in of Justice Dodin Feb 15, 2010 |
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Swearing-in of Ombudsman Zatte Feb 15, 2010 |
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Development Bank of Seychelles (DBS) board Feb 15, 2010 |
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Three national appointments announced Feb 12, 2010 |
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President Michel visits university campus Feb 11, 2010 |
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New Turkish ambassador Feb 10, 2010 |
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State of the Nation 2010: We are Stronger and more determined in 2010
Feb 17, 2010 |
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Seychelles concludes debt reduction agreement with Libya
Feb 17, 2010 |
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Water pollution incident at the ex-tracking station, La misere
Feb 16, 2010 |
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President Appoints New DBS Board
Feb 12, 2010 |
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President Appoints Ombudsman Dora Zatte
Feb 11, 2010 |
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New CEO Appointed For Landscape and Waste Management Agency
Feb 11, 2010 |
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President Michel visits unisey campus
Feb 09, 2010 |
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President congratulates Seychellois referee for world cup 2010 appointment
Feb 08, 2010 |
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President Michel extends support to tuna talks
Feb 05, 2010 |
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New deputy tax commissioner appointed
Feb 03, 2010 |
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