Eswatini not absolute monarchy - EBC chair
SIPHOFANENI – Chairman of the Elections and Boundaries Com mission (EBC) Prince Mhlabuhlangene Dlamini has refuted allega tions that the country was an absolute monarchy.
The chairman of the com mission was responding to questions from community members of .aMkhweli during a civic and voter education exercise in the area. A question was posed by Sihle Ndwandwe, who wanted to know the truth behind the country’s monar chy status and the meaning of monarchical democracy.
“When you go out of the country and hear what peo ple are saying about the country. Some are saying we are an absolute monar chy yet we are told that we are a monarchical democ racy, which one is true" Personally, I believe that we are still an absolute monar chy,´ said Ndwandwe.
VEHEMENTLY REFUTED
Prince Mhlabuhlangene vehemently refuted the al legations that the country was an absolute monarchy and stated that the Consti tution marked a new era in the country’s political dis pensation. He said the Con stitution ended an era where the .ing was allowed to make rules as he personally saw fit.
He stated that His Majesty .ing Mswati III made an important decision when he consciously gave emaSwati the right to elect their own Members of Parliament (MP) and other political positions.
“The assertion that we are an absolute monarchy is not true and needs to be vehemently disputed and denied with the strongest sense. I believe these alle gations are made by people who are trying to demonise black political excellence. When the .ing consciously gave the people the power to elect politicians, he was showing excellence, pro gressiveness and strength of the people,´ he said.
Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO) Deputy Secretary General (DSG) Gift Dlamini also asked the chairman of the commission if there were no election rules that were made along the way.
Prince Mhlabuhlangene said elections were guided by the Constitution and it was very important to note that the country was subject to regulations.
BY-ELECTIONS
He also mentioned that the civic and voter educa tion exercise opened their eyes towards other different things, such as the fact that the expulsion of former MP Mduduzi ‘Gawuzela’ Sime lane was not reported to the people before the by elections were announced.
“We have learnt a lot and right now we received a very important suggestion that we should have gone back to tell the people that they did not have an MP be fore engaging into the pro cess of by elections. This is a shortfall in our regula tions and we will be looking into it. Its important to en gage the people as a stake holder,´ he said.
The voter education pro cess continues today and consists of education on how to vote and the legis lations that mandate and regulate the voting process. Prince Mhlabuhlangene encouraged engagements through the Bucopho ses sions at imiphakatsi.