Swaziland came 142nd out of 167 countries
in the latest international survey on democracy.
The Economist
Intelligence Unit (EIU) Democracy Index labelled Swaziland,
where King Mswati III rules as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, an
‘authoritarian’ country.
It said ‘In these states [authoritarian], state
political pluralism is absent or heavily circumscribed.
Many countries in this
category are outright dictatorships. Some formal institutions of democracy may
exist, but these have little substance. Elections, if they do occur, are not
free and fair. There is disregard for abuses and infringements of civil
liberties. Media are typically state-owned or controlled by groups connected to
the ruling regime. There is repression of criticism of the government and
pervasive censorship. There is no independent judiciary.’
Political parties are not allowed to take part in elections and most of
the political groupings in Swaziland that advocate for democracy have been
banned under the King’s Suppression of Terrorism Act.
The Swazi people are only allowed to select 55 of the 65 members of the
House of Assembly, the other 10 are appointed by the King. None of the 30
members of the Swaziland Senate are elected by the people: the King appoints 20
members and the other 10 are appointed by the House of Assembly.
One of only two national newspapers in Swaziland is in effect owned by
the King. The state controls one of only two television stations and all radio,
except for a small Christian-orientated channel.
The EIU scored Swaziland 3.3 out of ten on the Democracy Index, lower
than Iraq. Swaziland scored 0.92 on electoral process and pluralism and 3.53 on
civil liberties.
The new report follows one published in December 2016 by Afrobarometer. In
that, Swaziland came last out of 36 countries in Africa in a survey on
political freedom.
See also
SWAZILAND
LAST ON POLITICAL FREEDOM
DO
SWAZIS WANT DEMOCRACY?
INCREASE
IN SUPPORT FOR FREE PRESS
http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2016/05/increase-in-support-for-free-press.html
