(Seychelles News Agency) - The main opposition party, United Seychelles, officially nominated Dr Patrick Herminie as its candidate for the 2025 presidential election at its 37th congress on Sunday.

He becomes the first candidate announced to enter the race for the presidential election due to be held on September 27, 2025, in Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean.

Herminie, the president of the United Seychelles party, says he is confident of winning the presidential election, thanks to the work his party has done since he took over the party's leadership.

"We are working very hard and today I am very satisfied with the results that we obtained by going in front of the people, in Anse aux Pins, it was a huge success thanks to the work that we have done over the last three years," he said.

Herminie's nomination as a presidential candidate comes as part of the activities marking the party's 60th anniversary. The party, then called the (SPUP) , was set up on June 2, 1964, by the late President France Albert Rene.  

United Seychelles held its 37th Congress on Sunday.  (Rassin Vannier, Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY

After 43 years in power under various names, the United Seychelles party lost the presidential election for the first time in October 2020 and became the main opposition party.

"We need to review where we were and analyse where we want to go. Our principles based on social justice remain relevant, even 60 years later. We have also made mistakes, and we must learn from them to create a better Seychelles," said Herminie.

He also criticised the policies of the current President Wavel Ramkalawan's government.

"It is clear to me that the new political reality is a threat to our gains. The 13th month salary has been abolished, the seniority bonus has been abolished, even the bonuses for students returning from university have been cut, the price of public transport has increased, social assistance has been cut, but on the other hand taxes for the richest have been reduced," said Herminie.

Herminie referred to the previous 13th month salary system that was introduced as an automatic measure in government, which has been changed to a 13th month salary with a performance-based review, where underperforming employees do not get the full amount of their wage, and those who perform well do.

For the moment, the party has not yet named Herminie's running mate, nor the members who will be standing for election to the National Assembly.