View source for Seychelles Democratic Party

{{Short description|Political party in Seychelles}}
{{Infobox political party
| name             = Seychelles Democratic Party
| logo             = Democratic Party of Seychelles logo.png
| colorcode        = {{party color|Seychelles Democratic Party}}
| foundation       = 1964
| ideology         = [[Conservatism]]<br>[[British unionism]] (Until independence)
| country          = Seychelles
| position         = [[Right-wing politics|Right-wing]]
}}
{{Politics of Seychelles}}
The '''Seychelles Democratic Party''' is a [[List of political parties in Seychelles|political party in Seychelles]]. It was founded by the late Sir [[James Mancham]] and [[David Joubert]] in July 1964, and governed the country from 1970 to 1977.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Democratic Party - Peace, Progress, Prosperity |url=http://dpseychelles.org/history.php |date=15 August 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060815233319/http://dpseychelles.org/history.php |archive-date=2006-08-15 }}</ref>

==History==
After a time in exile in the [[United Kingdom]], Mancham returned to the islands following the [[Seychelles]]' transition to democracy in 1993. He had led the SDP from the time of its founding. At the last elections of 6 December 2002 the party won 3.1% of the vote and failed to gain representation in the [[National Assembly of Seychelles|National Assembly]]. In February 2005 Mancham stepped down with Nichol Gabriel assuming the leadership of the party. In March 2006 Paul Chow was elected as party leader in a vote held by the executives of the party.<ref>[http://www.dpseychelles.org/events.php Events of SDP] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060816044219/http://dpseychelles.org/events.php |date=2006-08-16 }}</ref>

==Leadership==
*[[James Mancham]], 1964 - February 2005<ref name="hist">{{cite web |title=The Democratic Party - Peace, Progress, Prosperity |url=http://dpseychelles.org/events.php |date=16 August 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060816044219/http://dpseychelles.org/events.php |archive-date=2006-08-16 }}</ref>
*[[Nichol Gabriel]], February 2005 - March 2006<ref name="hist" />
*[[Paul Chow]], March 2006<ref name="hist" /> - 2008<ref>{{cite web |title=DP office re-opened -Archive -Seychelles Nation |url=https://www.nation.sc/archive/218924/dp-office-re-opened |website=www.nation.sc}}</ref> -?

== Electoral history ==

=== Presidential elections ===
{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
!rowspan=2|Election
!rowspan=2|Party candidate
!Votes
!%
!Votes
!%
!rowspan=2|Result
|-
!colspan=2|First round
!colspan=2|Second round
|-
|[[1993 Seychellois general election|1993]]
|rowspan=2|[[James Mancham]]
|15,815
|36.7%
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
|'''Lost''' {{Nay}}
|-
|[[1998 Seychellois general election|1998]]
|6,427
|13.8%
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
|'''Lost''' {{Nay}}
|-
|[[2006 Seychellois presidential election|2006]]
|Supported [[Wavel Ramkalawan]] ([[Seychelles National Party|SNP]])
|25,626
|45.71%
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
|'''Lost''' {{Nay}}
|}

=== National Assembly elections ===
{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
!Election
!Party leader
!Votes
!%
!Seats
!+/–
!Position
!Result
|-
|[[1967 Seychellois parliamentary election|1967]]
| rowspan="3" |[[James Mancham]]
|8,760
|48.2%
|{{Composition bar|4|8|hex={{party color|Seychelles Democratic Party}}}}
|{{increase}} 4
|{{increase}} 1st
|{{yes2|Majority government}}
|-
|[[1970 Seychellois parliamentary election|1970]]
|18,972
|52.8%
|{{Composition bar|10|15|hex={{party color|Seychelles Democratic Party}}}}
|{{increase}} 6
|{{steady}} 1st
|{{yes2|Supermajority government}}
|-
|[[1974 Seychellois parliamentary election|1974]]
|21,902
|52.37%
|{{Composition bar|13|15|hex={{party color|Seychelles Democratic Party}}}}
|{{increase}} 3
|{{steady}} 1st
|{{yes2|Supermajority government}}
|-
|[[1979 Seychellois general election|1979]]
| colspan="7" rowspan="3" |''Banned''<br>{{small|One-party state rule from 1978 to 1991}}
|-
|[[1983 Seychellois parliamentary election|1983]]
|-
|[[1987 Seychellois parliamentary election|1987]]
|-
|[[1992 Seychellois constitutional commission election|1992]]
| rowspan="4" |[[James Mancham]]
|14,150
|33.7%
|{{Composition bar|8|22|hex={{party color|Seychelles Democratic Party}}}}
|{{increase}} 8
|{{increase}} 2nd
|{{no2|Opposition}}
|-
|[[1993 Seychellois general election|1993]]
|14,062
|32.3%
|{{Composition bar|5|33|hex={{party color|Seychelles Democratic Party}}}}
|{{decrease}} 3
|{{steady}} 2nd
|{{no2|Opposition}}
|-
|[[1998 Seychellois general election|1998]]
|5,609
|12.1%
|{{Composition bar|1|34|hex={{party color|Seychelles Democratic Party}}}}
|{{decrease}} 4
|{{decrease}} 3rd
|{{no2|Opposition}}
|-
|[[2002 Seychellois parliamentary election|2002]]
|1,605
|3.10%
|{{Composition bar|0|34|hex={{party color|Seychelles Democratic Party}}}}
|{{decrease}} 1
|{{steady}} 3rd
|{{eliminated|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
|[[2007 Seychellois parliamentary election|2007]]
|[[Paul Chow]]
|23,869
{{Small|in alliance with [[Seychelles National Party|SNP]]}}
|43.43%
|{{Composition bar|11|34|hex={{party color|Seychelles Democratic Party}}}}
|{{increase}} 11
|{{increase}} 2nd
|{{no2|Opposition}}
|-
|[[2011 Seychellois parliamentary election|2011]]
|?
|colspan=2|Boycotted
|{{Composition bar|0|31|hex={{party color|Seychelles Democratic Party}}}}
|{{decrease}} 11
|
|{{eliminated|Extra-parliamentary}}
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Seychellois political parties}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Seychelles Democratic Party politicians|*Main]]
[[Category:Political parties in Seychelles]]


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