Reports of malpractice in
Swaziland’s election registration are many. Soldiers have been accused of
physically intimidating voters, football teams have rejected dubious
sponsorship from an aspiring member of parliament and the kingdom’s
Attorney-General has warned people against declaring they are standing for
election.
Mtsebeni residents refused
to register for elections after they said they were intimidated by soldiers.
The Times of
Swaziland reported on Tuesday (22 May 2018) they were forced to do
physical exercises. The newspaper said it happened at the border area of
Mtsebeni, under Gege Constituency, where there are 60 homesteads.
It reported the area’s Indvuna,
Khakhayi Hlatshwako, saying there had been disputes with the Elections and
Boundaries Commission (EBC) and local traditional leaders over where the
registration post should be. Hlatshwako said that at one point soldiers were
insulted by residents over the telephone about their love lives.
The soldiers were said to
have ‘tortured’ the area’s residents as punishment.
The Times quoted one community member saying, ‘When we went there to
fetch firewood, the soldiers made us lie down and do intense exercises as
punishment even when we had not done anything.’
The Times reported, ‘Other community members said these exercises
included the much difficult jack-knife and push-ups. It was alleged that the
age or gender of the people subjected to the exercises was not considered so
even the elderly and women were subjected to same.’
At Maphungwane in the
Matsanjeni North Constituency, football teams rejected a E10,000 (US$790) sponsorship
from an aspiring member of parliament. The Swazi
Observer reported (18 May 2018) that the sponsorship was in the form of
prize money that would be paid at the end of the football season and after the
election had been held.
The newspaper reported the
clubs’ representatives questioned the timing of the sponsorship and rejected
the offer. One club boss told the Observer
that aspiring MPs had also tried to manipulate them in the past.
It has already been reported
that police in Swaziland are investigating possible election corruption concerning a former
government minister accused of bribing people with promises of food parcels for
their votes.
Residents at Mbangweni complained
of nepotism when four people selected to assist in the
election were from the same family. The Swazi Observer reported
Inkhosatana Gelane, the acting KoNtshingila chief, saying they were ‘loyal and
respectful residents’. The Shiselweni Regional Administrator Themba Masuku is
investigating.
In an unrelated
development, EBC Chair Chief Gija Dlamini said that aspiring MPs would have to
declare how much money they spent on their election in line with the Elections
Expenses Act 2013. The Times of Swaziland reported him
saying, ‘A person can be given money by their friends and relatives to
campaign, and in order to ensure that everything is done in a fair manner, it
is important that we request candidates to declare.’
Attorney General Sifiso Khumalo has warned aspiring MPs not to declare
yet that they intend to run as it is against the law. Voter registration is
ongoing and is due to end on 17 June 2018.
Khumalo said the election itself had not started. The Swazi Observer on Wednesday (23 May
2018) reported him saying, ‘According to the law there are no elections
candidates currently. Those who were elected in 2013 are currently just Members
of Parliament and that’s all. We cannot then refer to them as contenders for
the upcoming elections because that is up to the electorate. Also as per the
law, it is wrong for anyone to declare their interest or lobby people to vote
for them, there is a time for that and that is the campaign period.’
By law candidates can only campaign after primary elections have taken
place.
EBC chair Chief Gija said, ‘No individual can nominate himself. Even if
you are interested in contesting for election, it is immaterial as it is the
electorate that must be interested in you and further nominate you for you to
qualify to be an elections contender.’
Under the Swazi election process published
by the EBC registration is followed by a period of nominations which take place at
chiefdoms. On the day of nomination, the name of the nominee is
raised by a show of hand and the nominee is given an opportunity to indicate whether
he or she accepts the nomination. If he
or she accepts it, he or she must be supported by at least ten members of that
chiefdom. The nominations are for the
position of Member of Parliament, Constituency Headman (Indvuna) and the
Constituency Executive Committee (Bucopho).
The minimum number of nominees is three and the
maximum is twenty. The nomination
process takes place in the open, persons are nominated by a show of hand and
the nomination is done by the community. Those nominated then contest elections
at primary level.
Primary elections also take place at the chiefdom
level and is by secret ballot. During
the primary elections, the voters are given an opportunity to elect the member
of the executive committee (Bucopho) for that particular chiefdom.
Aspiring Members of Parliament and the Constituency
Headman are also elected from each chiefdom.
At the end of the primary elections, there should be one candidate for
the position of the Member of Parliament and one for the position of the Constituency
Headman who are going to contest elections at secondary level. The election for the Executive Committee
Member (Bucopho) goes up to the primary level.
It is only between primary and secondary elections
that candidates may legally campaign.
The secondary elections take place at the various
constituencies. All the nominees at
chiefdom level contest elections at constituency level. The nominees with majority votes become the
winners and they become Members of Parliament or Constituency Headman.
See also
POLICE
PROBE ELECTION ‘CORRUPTION’
POOR START TO VOTER REGISTRATION
REGISTRATION
OPENS FOR SWAZI ELECTION
https://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/registration-opens-for-swazi-election.html
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