# Opposition Wins National Assembly (8–10 September 2016)

URL: https://allhistories.com/seychelles/timeline/2016-opposition-wins-national-assembly
Location: Seychelles
Themes: main-event

After the narrow presidential result of 2015, opposition parties united in a coalition, Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS), bringing together Wavel Ramkalawan's Seychelles National Party, Patrick Pillay's Lalyans Seselwa and smaller groups. Fatigue with a party that had governed since 1977, unhappiness over the cost of living and the influence of foreign investors, and the opposition's improved organisation all worked in its favour. In the National Assembly election held from 8 to 10 September 2016, LDS won 15 of the 25 constituency seats and 4 proportional seats, giving it 19 of the 33 seats. Parti Lepep was reduced to 14 seats. It was the first time since the restoration of multiparty politics, and since the coup of 1977, that the ruling party had lost control of the legislature. Patrick Pillay became Speaker of the National Assembly. The defeat transformed Seychellois politics. Within weeks President James Michel announced that he would resign, the new assembly began scrutinising the executive far more closely, and Seychelles entered an unprecedented period of 'cohabitation' between a president from one party and a legislature controlled by another. At this point in the timeline (8–10 September 2016), the President of Seychelles was James Michel (20 December 2015 – 16 October 2016 (term 3, elected 2015; resigned)).

## Why it matters
The 2016 result was the first electoral defeat of the party in power since 1977 and opened the way for the peaceful transfer of power in 2020.

Ruler at the Time: [James Michel](https://allhistories.com/seychelles/rulers/james-michel-2004)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — 2016 Seychellois parliamentary election](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Seychellois_parliamentary_election)
- [Wikipedia — Linyon Demokratik Seselwa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linyon_Demokratik_Seselwa)
- [National Assembly of Seychelles](https://www.nationalassembly.sc/)
- [Wikipedia — Alternation and The Blue Economy (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seychelles)