One traditional event of the Seychelles National Day celebrations which is normally held on Mahe, the Agricultural and Horticultural Show, has this year shifted to Praslin, and has lived up to the expectations of the organisers and public. It would be a no surprise if it remains there.

On display on the reclaimed land of Eve were nothing but the best in the agricultural and horticultural sectors coming from Praslin and La Digue. Some visitors from Mahe could not allow the distance ruined a good opportunity, they were on Praslin to view and buy the best vegetables, fruits, flowers and livestock, such as chickens, goats, cows and other animals reared by Seychellois farmers. For the first time on display was a variety of fish and fisheries products.
To also view and select any product of interest was none other than the President of the Republic James Michel accompanied by his beautiful daughter Laeticia, who we are sure, had a keen interest to see the animals and even had her favourite which she wouldn’t mind have as a pet. Children who visit the show with their parents normally spend more time to look at the animals, and they usually favour the rabbits and goats.
President Michel was also given a chance to see for himself how the farmers and fishermen are in their own right working hard to provide food for the population despite the constraints of weather or finances.
Like when it is done on Mahe, the organisers held competitions for each category but in general all participants were winners, especially this year, the show had been a great success.

Meeting to form Press Association at 1.30 pm Saturday at Lungos.

The Paris-based organisation “Reporters Without Borders”, whose Africa Bureau representative, Cléa Khan Sriber has just visited Seychelles, believes our islands are facing many challenges, notably the polarisation of the press.

At a press conference Tuesday, Ms Sriber told reporters that this polarisation, splitting the profession into pro-government and opposition journalists, is affecting their independence.
“Nobody is independent and free to report as one is answerable to a political affiliation or another.”
Reporters Without Borders discourages support by the international community for governments that suppress rather than protect freedom of information.
Ms Sriber who has met with Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Paul Adam, the Media Commission and representatives of most media, said there is considerable room for improvement.
Seychelles was ranked 103 out of 187 countries in the organiation’s index on press freedom.This, the Government felt was unfair, since no journalists have been jailed or even prosecuted for libel.
Ms Sriber said, access to information is still a constraint. Not all media have equal access to information from Government departments.
She added that the Public Order Act (POA) impinges on civil liberties and subsequently on press freedom, since it allows seizure of press material. She said however that Minister Adam has assured her, this is being challenged in the Constitutional Court and could be reviewed.
Ms Sriber said a representative of the Press Association needs to sit on the board of the Media Commission to make it more representative. She was told that such an association does not exist.
“The People” has been informed that a meeting to set up such an association will be held at Lungos offices at 1.30 pm Saturday. This newspaper is giving the association its full support.

Supports Seychelles candidature to lead AOSIS.

The Cabo Verde President on Tuesday addressed an extraordinary sitting of the National Assembly of Seychelles, during which he expressed his government’s support to Seychelles’ candidature to lead the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).

Saying that everything should be done to ensure the success of the UN’s Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that will be held in September, Dr. Fonseca announced that “Cabo Verde will contribute towards this endeavour and it is clear that it will resolutely support the candidature of our sister, the Republic of Seychelles, for the Presidency of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).”
Dr. Jorge Carlos de Almeida Fonseca was on a State visit from 16th to 20th June. He was the guest of honour at this year’s National Day celebrations of 18th June.