UK Parliament motion on King
µµ MP Lloyd called on the UK Government to support democratic reforms and human rights defenders in Eswatini. In his motion, he noted with disappointment that the King has allegedly thwarted calls for reform repeatedly.”
MBABANE – A %ritish par liamentarian has moved a motion calling upon the 8. *overnment to ensure unconditional release of two jailed Eswatini MPs. In case Eswatini refuses to release Members of Parliament (MPs) Mduduzi %acede Mabuza and MP Mthandeni Dube, Labour Party MP Sir Anthony LI oyd ( ) said the 8nited .ingdom (8.) *overnment should consider imposing travel bans on +is Majesty .ing Mswati III and his family. The mover of the mo tion (early day motion EDM) has been a member of Parliament for the past years.
If MP Lloyd’s EDM is finally debated and passed by the members of the +ouse of Commons, it could effectively mean that the .ing and his family are prohib ited from travelling to England, Scot land, :ales and 1orthern Ireland.
This could, perhaps, by extension, also affect royals who may be studying in the 8.. It has been learnt from sources in the know that such threats are never to be taken lightly as their implications are dire when %ritish allies possibly follow suit to amplify the travel ban.
+owever, Conservative Party MP Robert %uckland, mentioned in his ex planation of early day motions that he, along with many fellow new MPs did not sign them because they had little leg islative effect and are very expensive as they cost E1 (… ) per year.
+e is of the view that early day mo tions have been devalued by MPs who move them solely to congratulate foot ball teams or are sponsored by non gov ernmental organisations (1*Os) and lobbyists.
Meanwhile, in his EDM, the experi enced legislator, MP Lloyd, who has been a MP, is determined to see his mo tion debated by the +ouse of Commons. +e has been an MP since 1 . +e outlined in his motion that the +ouse of Commons was concerned about the continued detention of the two MPs on what he described as µtrumped up charges’ under the Suppression of Terrorism Act.
+e said they were concerned that they had been in prison for over a year on those µtrumped up charges’. +e said they were imprisoned in response to pro de mocracy demonstrations.
SUPPRESSING
+e then urged +is Majesty the .ing to initiate a national political dialogue with members of the opposition and civil so ciety leaders. +e also urged government to stop suppressing dissent and to release all human rights defenders currently be ing held.
MP Lloyd called on the 8. *overn ment to support democratic reforms and human rights defenders in Eswatini.
Popularly known as Tony, the MP is one of the experienced lawmakers of the %ritish Labour Party and has served as a member of Parliament since 1 . +e currently represents Rochdale and was previously an MP for Stretford from 1 to 1 ± and Manchester Central from 1 to 1 .
In his motion, the former *reater Man chester Police and Crime Commissioner said he noted with disappointment that +is Majesty .ing Mswati III has alleg edly thwarted calls for reform repeatedly.
+e referred to a report compiled by )reedom +ouse stating that the Eswatini *overnment has increasingly used re pressive tactics to stifle democracy ac tivism.
MP Lloyd filed what is known as an early day motion (EDM) in the +ouse of Commons on September , . The last supporter of the motion signed it on October 1, .
As of October , , legislators who had appended their signatures were as follows ±
MP Tony Lloyd ± Labour Party ● MP Chris Stephens Scottish 1a ● tional Party,
MP -onathan Edwards Independ ● ent,
MP Rachael Maskell Labour Party, ● MP Colum Eastwood Social Dem ● ocratic and Labour Party
MP %en Lake Plaid Cymru. ● In terms of the 8. Parliament proce dure, the six MPs are referred to as spon sors of the motion. The primary sponsor (MP Tony Lloyd) is the mover of the motion.
In addition to the sponsors, the follow ing members have signed to support the motion ±
● MP Saville Roberts, Liz Plaid Cymru, MP Margaret )arrier ± Independent,
● MP 1eal +anvey ± Alba Party.
● An early day motion is a proposal sub mitted for debate in the +ouse of Com mons, for which no day has been fixed. As there is no specific time allocated to EDMs, very few are reportedly debated by the member +ouse.
+owever, many early day motions at tract a great deal of public interest and media coverage. %y attracting the signa tures of other MPs, they can be used to demonstrate the level of parliamentary support for a particular cause or point of view.
In an average session, only six or seven EDMs reach over signatures. Around or get over 1 signatures, but the majority attract one or two sig natures. :ith regard to the motion on Eswatini, it has attracted nine signatures.
Partly reads the motion ³That this +ouse is concerned about the continued detention of Mduduzi %acede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube, members of Par liament in the Southern African country of Eswatini, who have now been held for over a year on trumped up charges under the Suppression of Terrorism Act following pro democracy demonstra tions notes with disappointment that .ing Mswati, Africa’s last absolute monarch, has repeatedly thwarted calls for reform.´
According to the motion, government has continued to effect arbitrary arrest, harassment and assault by security of ficers on people calling for political re forms.
³«.calls on the 8. *overnment to support democratic reform and human rights defenders in that country, raise the cases of Mduduzi %acede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube with the relevant authorities, make a public statement pressing for their immediate and uncon ditional release, and consider imposing travel bans on .ing Mswati and his fam ily until the MPs are released,´ reads the motion.
CONTROVERSIAL
Layton and :anstead MP -ohn Cryer said controversial early day motions would not be signed by government ministers, speaker of the +ouse of Com mons and deputy speaker.
+e pointed out that very few of them were debated on the floor of the chamber of the +ouse. It is said that they remain open for signature for the duration of the parliamentary session.
MP Robert Courts from :itney and Oxfordshire said he, like a growing number of parliamentarians on a cross party basis, took the principled decision not to sign the early day motions.