Election rundown

Seychelles held legislative elections in October 2011, in which President James Michel’s People’s Party won 89 percent of the vote. The main opposition, the Seychelles National Party, boycotted the polls in protest of the government’s refusal to revise electoral laws. A Presidential poll held in May gave Michel a third term in office.

Yahya Jammeh won his fourth term as President of the Gambia, increasing his mandate from the 2006 election. Opposition candidates and the West African regional body, ECOWAS, denounced the proceedings prior to election day, 24 November, due to the high levels of intimidation by the ruling party. The preliminary report of Commonwealth Expert Team stressed the need for democratic reforms.

St Lucia‘s Labour Party (SLP) was returned to power with an 11-6 majority in the House of Assembly following a general election on 28 November. The SLP’s Kenny Anthony will take over as prime minister from the United Workers Party’s (UWP) Sir John Compton. Anthony previously served as St Lucia’s head of government from 1997-2006, before Compton came out of retirement to lead the UWP in 2005.

In Guyana, Donald Ramotar of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), was pronounced president on 2 December, despite the PPP losing its parliamentary majority for the first time in 19 years. The ruling party was just one seat shy of a majority. Ramotar, a former political advisor to outgoing President Bharrat Jagdeo, will head the first minority government in Guyana since independence.

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