By Richard Rooney
The tiny kingdom of Swaziland in southern Africa is getting
ready for a national parliamentary election this year, amid expectations that
the outcome will be a fraud on democracy.
All
political parties are banned in the kingdom where King Mswati III is generally
considered to be the last absolute monarch in sub-Saharan Africa.
Elections are held every five years. At the last vote in
2008, the Commonwealth Election Team, which has global experience monitoring national
elections, declared that the voting was so badly flawed Swaziland needed to
rewrite its constitution, if it ever wanted to “ensure that Swaziland’s commitment to political
pluralism is unequivocal”.
In a report on
the elections it said: “It is widely accepted internationally that democracy
includes the right of individuals to associate with and support the political
party of their choice.”
It added: “Yet in practice this right currently does not
exist.”
The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) also denounced the poll because
political parties were not allowed to take part.
Mary Mugyenyi, the head of the PAP mission, said at the time: “The
non-participation of political parties makes these elections extraordinary from
any others but we hope with time things will change.”
The European Union declined even to send a delegation to
monitor the election, declaring that it could not be free and fair if political
parties were banned. In 2008 Peter Beck Christiansen, the EU Ambassador to
Swaziland, told a press conference there were, “shortcomings in the kingdom’s
democracy”.
He said: “It is noted that the Prime Minister is not
elected by Parliament.” He added: “The same applies to Cabinet Ministers, they’re
not appointed by Cabinet.”
He also said: “It’s clear that the [Swazi] constitution
has some shortcomings.”
Following the election, the International Commission of Jurists criticised the Swaziland Supreme Court for siding with the Swaziland state and confirming a constitutional right to ban political parties in the kingdom.
In January 2012, Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in the Swaziland Government, confirmed that there would be no changes from previous years to the way the national elections would be run and political parties would remain banned.
Following the election, the International Commission of Jurists criticised the Swaziland Supreme Court for siding with the Swaziland state and confirming a constitutional right to ban political parties in the kingdom.
In January 2012, Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in the Swaziland Government, confirmed that there would be no changes from previous years to the way the national elections would be run and political parties would remain banned.
King Mswati’s supporters dismiss criticisms that the
kingdom is un-democratic, saying Swaziland has a “unique” democracy. This is built
on a system of 55 Tinkhundla (local councils) and all candidates for election are
required to stand as individuals and if elected personally represent the ordinary
people in their local constituencies.
There are two chambers of parliament, the House of
Assembly and the Senate. Of the 65 members of the House, 10 are chosen by King
Mswati and 55 are elected by the people. In the Senate, King Mswati chooses 20
of the 30 places. The other 10 are chosen by members of the House of Assembly.
None are elected by the people.
Despite, the claims that ordinary Swazi have
representation in parliament, King Mswati is in complete control of his
kingdom. Last August, at the Sibaya People’s Parliament (a quaint idea of
democracy where people turn up at a cattle byre and voice their opinions on
topics of concern to them) speakers overwhelmingly called on the government to
resign, citing its inability to control an economy spiralling out of control as
a major reason.
In October, the House of Assembly passed a vote of
no-confidence in the prime minister and cabinet. In such circumstances the
constitution requires the monarch to sack the government (he has no discretion
in the matter), but King Mswati ignored this and put pressure on the House to
re-run the vote, this time ensuring that it did not have the required majority
to pass. Members of the House did as they were told and the government
continued in office.
A number of prodemocracy groups have called for a boycott
of this year’s election. These include the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland
(TUCOSWA) and the Swaziland United Democratic Front, which describes the Swazi
system of governance as “illegitimate, unpopular and a mockery to democracy”.
King Mswati has yet to set a date for the election. He
has sole say over its timing. In 2008 he kept people waiting for most of the
year before declaring the poll would be in September, leaving only three days
for people to declare their candidacy and there was no voter’s roll to
determine who was eligible to vote.
While we await the election, the king continues to live a
lavish lifestyle. He has 13 palaces, one for each of his wives, and owns fleets
of BMW and Mercedes Benz cars and a private jet aircraft. Forbes magazine
estimated that he has a personal fortune of US$100 million. Meanwhile, seven in
ten of the 1 million population of Swaziland live in abject poverty, earning
less than US$2 a day. Swaziland also has the highest rate of HIV infection in
the world.
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