By Kavita Mistry 
Opposition leader Patrick Herminie won the presidential election in Seychelles, defeating incumbent leader Wavel Ramkalawan in Saturday’s runoff vote, according to official results released early Sunday.
Mr. Herminie garnered 52.7% of the vote, with Mr. Ramkalawan taking 47.3%, the results showed.
Mr. Herminie represents the United Seychelles party, which led the country for four decades before it lost power in 2020.
The race between the two main contenders in Seychelles’ election was decided in a runoff after there was no outright winner in the presidential vote two weeks ago.
Early voting began on Thursday, but most people in the island nation voted on Saturday.
Both Herminie and Ramkalawan ran spirited campaigns trying to address key issues for voters, including environmental damage and a crisis of drug addiction in a country long seen as a tourist haven.