Seychelles passes constitutional amendment allowing military personnel to assist police outside of states of emergency

The Seychelles National Assembly voted for an amendment to the Constitution of the island state [...] that gives the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF) the right to enforce domestic law in relation to public security, environmental protection and maritime security. Effectively, the amendment gives a fifth function to the military and enables it to work alongside the Seychelles Police outside of states of emergency. [...] Discussions on the topic took place throughout the day and ended with all members of the ruling party, Linyon Demokratik Seselwa party (LDS), voting for the amendment, while members of the United Seychelles (US) opposition party voted against. [...] When the Defence (Amendment) Bill was published in the Official Gazette on May 5, 2022, the Ombudsman, Nichole Tirant-Ghérardi, gave her opinion on the 10th amendment of the Constitution of Seychelles [saying "The spectre of members of the defence forces maintaining law and order or running any essential service in the country on a permanent or semi-permanent basis does not sit well with that notion of democracy ..."].
Read the full article here: All Africa