Seychelles president wins re-election

The electoral commission said Monday that President James Michel won nearly 54 percent of the vote, while opposition leader Wavel Ramkalawan got 46 percent,electoral commission spokesman Hendrick Gappy said.

Photo: Seychelles president wins re-election

Michel, the former vice president, was appointed to the presidency in 2004 after longtime leader Albert Rene stepped down before the end of his term.

The People's Progressive Front has been in power since Rene led a bloodless coup in 1977. He restored multiparty democracy in 1993 and won three straight elections, according to the AP.

This former British colony of 90,000 people has some 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. The weekend election focused on the country's debt-ridden economy, which depends on the fishing industry and upscale tourists who are drawn to the country's sandy beaches.