Seychelles will stage a presidential runoff after no candidate secured the 50% threshold in weekend voting, the electoral commission said Sunday.
Official results show opposition candidate Patrick Herminie on 48.8% and incumbent President Wavel Ramkalawan on 46.4%. A date for the head-to-head vote has not yet been announced.
Herminie leads United Seychelles, which governed the archipelago from 1977 until losing power in 2020. Ramkalawan, seeking a second term with his Linyon Demokratik Seselwa party, campaigned on economic recovery, social policy and environmental stewardship.
Early voting began Thursday, with most ballots cast on Saturday at polling stations across the 115-island Indian Ocean nation, known for high-end eco-tourism and one of Africa’s highest GDPs per capita.