More bad news for the French language as a barometer of France's standing in the world.

FRENCH LOSES OUT TO CREOLE IN SEYCHELLES ELECTION

VICTORIA August 1, 2006 (AFP) - Election observers from the organization of French-speaking nations [Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, or more simply, La Francophonie] on Tuesday praised weekend polls in the Seychelles but lamented a lack of French used by candidates and officials in the process.

Among their recommendations, the Francophonie observers urged "a more systematic usage of French in the electoral process, in keeping with provisions in the constitution that guarantee the equality of the three languages."

The call was made in a statement by the representatives of the 53-nation bloc that gave a positive assessment of the polls but did not elaborate on how much French was used in the campaign or by electoral officials.

However, anecdotal evidence suggested that most speeches at rallies, printed campaign posters and election material were almost entirely in Creole with a smattering of English, the two most widely spoken languages on the 115-island chain.

Seychellois Creole is a pidgin French spoken by 91.8% of the citizenry. Another 4.9% speak English. Creole is serious business in Seychelles and has its own language academy, Lenstiti Kreol, to codify grammar and orthography.

The Seychellois prefer their nativist pidgin French to colonialist French. La Francophonie can only grouse over a spent constitutional provision.

* Kreol = Meddling in someone's business.

PFFT (What is this?): Less French 3 | Rayonnement français 0

Bonjour,

Toujours la grande fourberie hypocrite des Yanks qui reprochent aux autres leur "colonialisme" oubliant que les plus génocideurs des colonialistes c'est bien EUX....
Colonialiste et génocideurs , ils ont génocidé des peuples indiens entiers.
Esclavagistes jusqu ' à des dates récentes.
Racistes , ils prenaient plaisir à pendre des Noirs il y a encore peu;ces sadiques yankees prenaient même des photos de leurs crimes.
Racistes , ils le sont toujours , prêchant au reste du monde la société multiculturelle (lire Anatol Lieven).
Antisémites violents , ils le sont aussi , comme le prouve la récente affaire de l 'hypocrite cinéaste Gibson.

Les USA , un pays de barbares....

Good luck to your country in Irak , dear Milton !!!!