James Michel was re-elected president by a comfortable margin in the presidential ballot held on May 19th–21st for a third term, cementing the hold of the Parti Lepep (or People's Party—PP) on Seychelles' political scene. Mr Michel assumed the presidency in 2004, after his predecessor, Albert René, resigned, facing his first election in 2006, when he defeated Wavel Ramkalawan of the Seychelles National Party (SNP). Mr Michel improved on this performance in 2011, capturing 55.5% of the total—thereby avoiding a second-round run-off—while Mr Ramkalawan's vote slipped to a 41.4% share. The two minor candidates, Ralph Volcere of the New Democratic Party (NDP) and Phillip Boullé (an independent), both won less than 1,000 votes each for a combined 3.1% share. The electorate clearly rewarded the incumbent for steering the sweeping economic reforms and recovery since the 2008 debt crisis. The success of the reforms, which the SNP had long advocated, also removed a major campaigning tool from the opposition's armoury.

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Turnout was high at about 85% (although it was slightly lower than the 88% recorded in 2006) and there were no incidents of violence, with observers from the Southern African Development Community and the Commonwealth deeming the process to have been largely free and fair. The SNP has nevertheless accused the ruling party of bribery, and refused to attend the official declaration of the results (but it is likely to attend the president's inauguration). The SNP's gripes are probably exaggerated, although there is little doubt that Mr Michel benefited yet again from controlling the levers of power, including the local state media and the civil service. The result was a disappointment for Mr Ramkalawan, who won 1,748 fewer votes than in 2006, bringing to four his tally of consecutive election defeats as the ruling party candidate (in 1998, 2001, 2006 and 2011), which raises a question mark over his future as party leader. The SNP's slippage is only partly explained by the decision of the New Democratic Party (NDP) to field a separate candidate for the first time since 1998 (after the party's forerunner backed Mr Ramkalawan in 2006) and the increased vote for the independent candidate, Mr Boullé, which both ate into the SNP's share. The SNP still represents a significant proportion of the Seychelles' electorate but its support has fallen from a high-water mark in 2006 and its dream of returning to power has faded. The PP, by contrast, which won a majority in 23 of the country's 25 constituencies in the presidential ballot on a platform of ongoing reform, can now look forward to legislative elections scheduled for 2012 with a greater degree of confidence.