Call to boycott elections illogical – EBC
MANZINI – To say there should be no elections is illogical and irresponsible, says the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) chairperson.
This, Prince Muhlabuhlangene, said during the official opening of a workshop between the EBC and chiefs from the Shiselweni Region. The event was held at Esibayeni Lodge.
His remarks were an hour-long ‘lecture’ on the role chiefs should play during the elections. The EBC chairperson empowered the chiefs on the Monarchical Democracy. He said: “There is a goal that elections are a success and it is why we started by engaging you as leaders of communities.”
Prince Muhlabuhlangene said elections were in the Constitution and they were held every five years. He said this led to the formation of the EBC and wondered what they would be getting paid for if there were people saying there should be no elections.
The chairperson said the people advocating for the boycott of the elections were purporting that they were saying same on behalf of taxpayers. He said the call for the action was contrary to having the interests of the taxpayers as it would mean their money was going to waste if the elections were not hosted. “Which taxpayers are you talking for if you say there should be no elections? It’s irresponsible and not clear as this is a right of the people, which needs to be respected,” he said.
He said calling for people not to attend the elections was illogical as there was the EBC and a huge amount from taxpayers was used to remunerate personnel to engage in their duties of preparing and hosting elections. Rhetorically, he asked: “What are we paid for?”
He said the country had a natural advantage of organising the elections as people were under their leadership in the various communities. Despite that chiefs do not partake in politics, he said they had a big role to mobilise people to rule themselves through voting.
Also, he explained that any dialogue was in two folds as there was the part which could be addressed by government, while the other issues needed the monarchy.
Traditions
Furthermore, he said there was no enmity between democracy and traditions but the pair needed to be harmonised. Prince Muhlabuhlangene said it would be wrong to accuse one for taking a step towards democracy.
He said the reason monarchies in Europe were in a mess was because they failed to implement or usher in Constitutions.
Furthermore, he said there was a gap between how legislators engaged in their duties within traditional structures, while there was also lack of healthy relationships between traditions and politics.
The chairperson said the onus was on the chiefs to ensure unity between the two as there should be no animosity between democracy and traditions. “As chiefs, close the gap between bucopho and royal kraals as they should report back what is discussed at constituency centres,” he said.
He said bucopho should report back at umphakatsi what was said at the constituency centre as Tinkhundla was not dysfunctional but perfect as articulated in the Constitution.
The chairperson said chiefs were campaigning officers for democracy and traditions as they were key influencers. He said it was for this reason there were people instilling fear in them. “This is a war in our identity and we should win it through the ballot box. You should lead in participating,” he said.
The chairperson emphasised that elections were the right of the people in leading themselves. Despite this, he said, every right had a limitation based on the norms of where it was being implemented.