The Secretary of State for Cabinet Affairs and Head of the Civil Service, Mr. Mohammed Afif, has sent a letter to the Leader of the Linyon Demokratik Seselwa, Mr. Roger Mancienne, today.

Mr. Afif responded to a letter sent to President James Michel by Mr. Mancienne yesterday.

“It is not the President’s custom to respond to allegations and/or accusations of a spurious, tendentious and malicious nature made by politicians or political parties. But when such allegations and accusations, as conveyed in your letter cited above and relayed by public media, are made in the immediate aftermath of an election with the express purpose of confounding the people of Seychelles and eliciting the reaction of the international community, they merit to be denounced in the strongest of terms,” said Mr. Afif.

He furthermore added; “The President denies, in the most categorical terms, the accusations and allegations made in your letter. Neither he nor his Government have caused prejudice to any public servant, or anybody for that matter, for their political views or stance. Furthermore, contrary to your allegations and accusations, no public servant has been relieved of their responsibilities on account of their overt political views before, during and in the aftermath of the National Assembly elections.

”Mr. Afif also noted that those public servants who were dismissed, suspended or removed from service in the past were judged to be in gross violation of established codes of service and or conduct.

“Many of them are known to you – especially those who have claimed to have been “politically victimised” as a result of disciplinary and administrative actions taken against them. Last but not least, President Michel also takes note of reports which have been brought to his attention of Parti Lepep supporters being dismissed from private sector companies on account of their political beliefs and stance,” he concluded.