Assumption Island Dispute Dominates Seychelles Election as Environment, Economy and Geopolitics Collide

Published: 26 September 2025. The English Chronicle Desk

A remote, almost barren island in the Indian Ocean has unexpectedly become the defining issue in this weekend’s presidential and parliamentary elections in Seychelles. Assumption Island, a sun-scorched and sparsely populated coralline outcrop located more than 1,100 kilometres from the nation’s main island of Mahé, has sparked controversy that extends well beyond its shores. Once stripped of its guano deposits and long forgotten by agriculture, the island is now at the centre of a storm combining geopolitics, environmental preservation, and domestic politics.

Despite its austere appearance, Assumption holds strategic significance. It lies on shipping routes vital to global trade between Asia, Africa and beyond, making it a point of interest for major powers. India once sought to build a military base there but was forced to back away after public opposition in Seychelles. In recent years, however, the island has drawn renewed attention, not for military development but for tourism investment. A deal signed by President Wavel Ramkalawan last year allowed the Qatari royal family, through a Middle Eastern investment vehicle, to begin developing a luxury resort with 40 exclusive villas, an expanded airstrip, and other infrastructure.

The move has proved deeply divisive. Ramkalawan, an ordained Anglican priest who came to power five years ago on an anti-corruption wave, defends the lease as a necessity for a small island nation dependent on outside investment. The 70-year agreement included an upfront payment of $20 million, which he argues will bolster national finances. He insists the project is no different from other international hotel investments, noting that it will be managed by Rosewood Hotels, a luxury operator. “We’ve got to look for investment in order for us to survive,” he said in recent interviews.

Yet environmental campaigners are alarmed. Assumption’s long beaches are a critical nesting ground for endangered green turtles, and its proximity to the UNESCO-listed Aldabra Atoll makes it a fragile ecological frontier. Aldabra, described by Sir David Attenborough as one of the world’s greatest natural treasures, is home to hundreds of species found nowhere else. Critics warn that development on Assumption could disrupt the delicate balance of this ecosystem.

Lucie Harter, a leading conservation activist, has voiced grave concerns about the construction, citing photographs of giant tortoises injured by heavy machinery and accusing authorities of secrecy and negligence. “Where is the oversight? There’s no transparency. The way these decisions are taken is quite under the table,” she said. Earlier this year, Seychelles’ planning authority issued a stop-work notice against the resort, but construction has continued regardless.

Two campaign groups, Friends of Aldabra and Seychelles at Heart, have now lodged an injunction in the Constitutional Court demanding a suspension of work until a thorough and independent environmental impact study is completed. They are also calling for international observers to monitor the process.

The controversy has quickly become a potent political weapon for Ramkalawan’s rivals. His main challenger, Dr Patrick Herminie of the United Seychelles (US) party, has accused the president of betraying national interests and ignoring the will of the Seychellois people. Herminie, a former speaker of parliament and physician by training, has sought to frame the election as a referendum on good governance. He argues that while the government points to economic recovery—IMF forecasts of 5.8% growth this year, rebuilt reserves of $800 million, low unemployment at 3.5%—many citizens are still struggling to afford basic needs. “We’re getting poorer. People can’t afford two meals per day,” he told reporters.

Herminie also draws on his own controversial past, including his 2023 arrest on allegations of using witchcraft for political gain—charges he dismisses as absurd and politically motivated. He pledges a return to stronger social protections, promising lower bus fares, higher social security benefits, and a reduced retirement age. While his party remains a rebranded version of the once-repressive SPPF of former President France-Albert René, Herminie insists there will be no return to past abuses.

The Assumption deal has not only galvanised opposition parties but also divided Ramkalawan’s own camp. Key strategists from his victorious campaign five years ago have switched sides, accusing him of delivering only a fraction of his promises. Independent candidates have seized on the dispute too. Firebrand publisher Ralph Volcere has branded Ramkalawan an autocrat and railed against corruption in every sector. His campaign also highlights the island’s role in the heroin trade that continues to plague Seychelles, with drugs siphoned from passing shipping lanes.

Volcere, however, is himself a polarising figure, criticised for his ties to Mukesh Valabhji, a businessman currently facing corruption and arms possession trials. Still, his proposals, such as decriminalising cannabis to undercut criminal syndicates, have found some resonance.

The election field remains crowded. Out of 11 initial presidential hopefuls, eight are still in the race. With Seychelles’ electorate numbering fewer than 100,000, a second-round runoff is possible if no candidate secures an outright majority. Alongside the presidency, voters will choose representatives for the 26-seat National Assembly, adding further weight to the outcome.

For many Seychellois, the contest is as much about national identity as it is about economics. Ramkalawan insists he will not allow foreign military bases on Seychellois soil and rejects any alignment in global geopolitical rivalries. Yet his decision to lease Assumption to wealthy investors has left voters questioning whether sovereignty and environmental heritage have been compromised for short-term financial relief.

The fate of Assumption Island now looms larger than the island itself. What was once a little-known coral outpost has become a symbol of competing visions for Seychelles’ future—whether as a pristine ecological treasure, a haven for luxury tourism, or a pawn in the great power games of the Indian Ocean.

This weekend’s ballots may ultimately decide not only who governs Seychelles but also whether Assumption remains a sanctuary for turtles and tortoises or transforms into an enclave for the global elite. For many, the question is clear: the island’s fate could determine the course of the nation itself.