Exile yourself!

Last week, the Parti Lepep (PL) mouth piece, The People, shamelessly asked me to exile myself if I feel I don't like the Government.

The attack was in response to my editorial two weeks back entitled ‘I am ashamed of my Government.’

In typical one-party state attitude, The People wrote, “then what are you doing in this country if you are ashamed of your Government? Go and live overseas.”

This is not the first time PL has launched such an attack on anyone who dared challenge their regime.

It is my right to disagree strongly with the current socialist Government's position and agenda on a variety of issues. My loyalty and full support is towards the Constitution. An American social commentator once wrote “you can love your country without having to love your Government.”

I love my country and the ideals it was founded upon, such as peace, tolerance and hard work. The country is the people, the land and the way of life.

The government is the only governing administration I have known my entire life. From the coup d’état to winning the elections through scare mongering tactics, they have managed to impose themselves upon us until now.  Sure the Government has done bits and pieces for the country and its people, but at the same time it is gradually growing too powerful and starting to think Seychelles is uniquely theirs!

As a patriot I see it as my duty to defend Seychelles against any Government which is not serving its best interest.  I will be loyal to a Government only when it deserves it.

The trouble with the ruling party is that they cannot differentiate between Government and country, just as they are as confuse between party and state.

I will continue to voice my opinion when I feel the need to. If they do not like it tough like or else they want to resort to other illegal means to silence me, as we all know they have used in the past!