The Commonwealth
Secretary General Patricia Scotland presented the absolute monarch of Swaziland
(eSwatini) King Mswati III with a copy of the Commonwealth Charter during her
visit to the kingdom.
The Charter sets out the
Commonwealth’s commitment to democracy and human rights.
Swaziland is a member of
the Commonwealth.
The King rules Swaziland
where political parties are barred from taking part in elections. The King
choses the Prime minister and cabinet minister as well as job judges and civil
servants. Freedoms of expression, assembly and association are severely
curtailed. Groups advocating for democracy are banned under the Suppression of
Terrorism Act.
Freedom House scored Swaziland 16 out of a possible 100
points in its Freedom
in the World 2019 report. It concluded that Swaziland was ‘not
free’.
The Commonwealth
Secretary General met King Mswati at Ludzidzini, one of the King’s 13 palaces.
About seven in ten of the 1.3 million population of Swaziland live in abject
poverty.
Scotland was in Swaziland as
part of a tour of Commonwealth countries.
The Commonwealth
describes its Charter as ‘a document of the values and
aspirations which unite the Commonwealth – democracy, human rights and the rule
of law.
‘The Charter expresses the commitment of member states
to the development of free and democratic societies and the promotion of peace
and prosperity to improve the lives of all the people of the Commonwealth.
‘The Charter also acknowledges the role of civil
society in supporting the goals and values of the Commonwealth.’
On democracy the Charter states, ‘We recognise the inalienable right of individuals
to participate in democratic processes, in particular through free and
fair elections in shaping the society in which they live. Governments,
political parties and civil society are responsible for upholding and
promoting democratic culture and practices and are accountable to the
public in this regard. Parliaments and representative local governments
and other forms of local governance are essential elements in the exercise
of democratic governance.’
There have been many calls for Swaziland
to be suspended from the Commonwealth because of its poor
human rights record.
 |
Commonwealth
Secretary General, Patricia Scotland presents
the absolute monarch of Swaziland King Mswati
III with the Commonwealth Charter: Courtesy picture
|
See also
No
let-up in restrictions of freedom of association and assembly in Swaziland:
Human Rights Watch
Swaziland
in economic freefall with human rights failings, report shows
Police violence, undemocratic elections, hunger and disease: highlights of Swaziland’s human rights violations
No comments:
Post a Comment