SEYCHELLES (CONSTITUTION) (Hansard, 28 October 1947)

§ Mr. Rees-Williams

The changes to which my hon. Friend refers have not yet been made. The position is that a statement setting out the proposals was published in Seychelles on 1st September and has since been discussed in the Legislative Council. As a result of these discussions a few amendments have been suggested, and are now awaiting consideration in the Colonial Office as soon as the great pressure of other urgent constitutional work permits.

As the details of the qualifications for the franchise are rather long I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, include a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT. I have no recent estimate of the numbers expected to qualify for the franchise under the new proposals but I am asking the Governor for information on this point.

Following is the statement:

It is proposed that no person shall be entitled to have his name entered in any register of voters if such person:

(a) is not a British subject;
(b) has not attained the age of twenty-one years;
(c) has not been registered as a person liable to pay a tax under the Property Tax Ordinance, 1923, or under the Income Tax Ordinance, 1923, or under any other Ordinance imposing direct taxation in respect of the taxable 75 period immediately preceding the date of his application for registration as a voter;

Provided, however, that a married woman shall be entitled to have her name entered in the register of voters if her husband is liable to pay a tax under the preceding provisions of this paragraph;

(d) is not able to write his name legibly in Roman characters; provided that if his ability to write as aforesaid is due to blindness or other physical cause, this disqualification shall not apply;
(e) has not ordinarily resided in Seychelles for a period of not less than twelve consecutive months antecedent to the date of his application for registration as a voter;
(f) has not resided in the electoral area in respect of which his application for registration as a voter is made for a period of not less than three consecutive months antecedent to the date of the application;
(g) has been declared bankrupt or insolvent by a competent court in the colony or elsewhere and has not received his discharge;
(h) has been sentenced, by any court in His Majesty's dominions or in any territory under His Majesty's protection or in any territory in which His Majesty has from time to time jurisdiction, to death or imprisonment for any term exceeding six months and has not either suffered the punishment to which he was sentenced or such other punishment as may by competent authority have been substituted therefore.: or received a free pardon;
(i) has been declared to be of unsound mind under any law in force in the Colony.