It comes as the EBC has struggled to meet targets
for voter registration. The EBC had said there were 600,000 people in Swaziland
eligible to vote and allowed the media to report this as the body’s target for
registration.
But, with only 20 days of registration to go only
190,000 people have signed up to vote.
At this rate of registration only about 363,000 people
will have signed up by the end of the registration period on 23 June 2013.
But, now Chief Gina is claiming the 600,000 figure was
never a target. The Swazi Observer, the
newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati III, reported, ‘The chairman [Chief
Gija] also clarified that the 600 000 people expected to register were not in
actual fact the commission’s target.’
The newspaper added, ‘However, he explained that
this was the number of people eligible to vote in the country. Such people are
those who are 18 years and above.’
If 363,000 people register to vote, it will represent only
60 percent of the total number of people eligible to vote.
At the last election in 2008, King Mswati III, who rules
Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, claimed a triumph when
350,778 people registered to vote. In 2008, the EBC claimed the total number of
people eligible to vote was 400,000 (200,000 fewer than the figure claimed for
this year).
Those 350,778 represented 88 percent of the total number eligible
to vote.
To at least match the 88 percent take-up figure for 2008,
this year the ECB must sign up at least 528,000 people.
The Swazi Observer
gave no reason why Chief Gija and the ECB had moved the goal-posts and revised
down its figure for participation at this year’s election.
A campaign by prodemocracy groups to get people to boycott
this year’s election is in full swing. They say the elections are meaningless
because political parties are not allowed to take part and the parliament that is
selected has no real powers.
The election is for 55 members of the 65-seat House of
Assembly. The king appoints the other 10 members. No members of the 30-strong
Swazi Senate are elected by the people: 20 senators are appointed by the king
and the other 10 are selected by members of the House of Assembly.
See also
DATE SET FOR CONTROVERSIAL ELECTION
‘SWAZIS WANT CHANGE’: POLL FIGURES
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