Every Seychelles presidential election, 1993 to 2025
Since multiparty democracy returned in 1993, Seychelles has held eight presidential elections. France-Albert René won the first three, James Michel the next three, then Wavel Ramkalawan took the presidency for the opposition in 2020 and Patrick Herminie won it back for United Seychelles in 2025.
- Eight presidential elections, 1993 to 2025 [WIKIPEDIA]
- René won 1993, 1998 and 2001; Michel won 2006, 2011 and 2015 [AFR. ELECTIONS]
- 2015 and 2025 were decided in run-offs, 2015 by just 193 votes [WIKIPEDIA]
- 2020 was the first transfer of power to the opposition since independence [WIKIPEDIA]
The winning margin narrowed from René's two-thirds landslide in 1998 to two run-offs decided by a few points, in 2015 and 2025. A maturing, and genuinely competitive, democracy.
Source: per-election results, Elections in Seychelles, cross-checked with the African Elections Database
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Turnout | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | France-Albert René SPPF · 59.5% | James Mancham Democratic Party · 36.72% | — | The first multiparty presidential election since 1974, under the new constitution. |
| 1998 | France-Albert René SPPF · 66.67% | Wavel Ramkalawan United Opposition · 19.53% | 84.0% | René's landslide; Ramkalawan overtook Mancham into second place. |
| 2001 | France-Albert René SPPF · 54.19% | Wavel Ramkalawan Seychelles National Party · 44.95% | — | René's last election; the opposition closed the gap sharply. |
| 2006 | James Michel SPPF · 53.73% | Wavel Ramkalawan Seychelles National Party · 45.71% | 88.7% | Michel's first win after succeeding René in 2004. |
| 2011 | James Michel Parti Lepep · 55.46% | Wavel Ramkalawan Seychelles National Party · 41.43% | 85.3% | Won in the first round. |
| 2015 | James Michel Parti Lepep · 50.15% | Wavel Ramkalawan Seychelles National Party · 49.85% | 87.4% | The first election to go to a run-off; Michel won the second round by 193 votes. |
| 2020 | Wavel Ramkalawan Linyon Demokratik Seselwa · 54.9% | Danny Faure United Seychelles · — | — | The first transfer of power to the opposition since independence. |
| 2025 | Patrick Herminie United Seychelles · 52.7% | Wavel Ramkalawan Linyon Demokratik Seselwa · 47.3% | — | United Seychelles returned to power in the run-off; Herminie became the sixth president. |
Presidential terms and their occupants are on the people pages. The National Assembly is elected separately, most recently in 2025, when United Seychelles regained its majority. Where a runner-up share or turnout is shown as a dash we have not yet confirmed it against a primary source and would rather leave it blank than print a figure we are unsure of.
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Elections in Seychelles (presidential and general election articles). 2026. original · archived accessed 2026-07-15Per-election results 1993–2025, cross-checked against the African Elections Database and IPU Parline.
- African Elections Database. Elections in Seychelles. original · archived accessed 2026-07-15A long-run compilation of Seychelles election results, used as a second source for the older contests.
- Electoral Commission of Seychelles. Electoral Commission of Seychelles. original · archived accessed 2026-07-15The body that runs Seychelles elections and certifies results.
- Al Jazeera. Seychelles's Patrick Herminie wins presidential run-off election. 2025-10-12. original · archived accessed 2026-07-15Herminie (United Seychelles) defeated incumbent Ramkalawan 52.7% to 47.3% in the October 2025 run-off, becoming the sixth president.
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Seychelles Abroad. (2026, July 15). Every Seychelles presidential election, 1993 to 2025. https://seychellesabroad.org/sesel/government/elections/“Every Seychelles presidential election, 1993 to 2025.” Seychelles Abroad, 15 July 2026, seychellesabroad.org/sesel/government/elections/.Seychelles Abroad. “Every Seychelles presidential election, 1993 to 2025.” Last reviewed July 15, 2026. https://seychellesabroad.org/sesel/government/elections/.