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General elections were held in Swaziland on 20 September 2013. [1]
The primary elections began on 24 August 2013 with one candidate elected from each chiefdom. Those elected then go on to represent the chiefdom in the general election, where one candidate from each Inkhundla (constituency) is then elected to the House of Assembly. [2]
Some political analysts have voiced concerns that women are being prevented from participating in the primary elections. In one case, a nominated candidate was disqualified because she was wearing trousers. [3] The High Court later ordered the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) to add her name back to the ballot. [2] However, some residents from her chiefdom threatened to boycott the elections, complaining that she had not been properly nominated. [4]
About 415,000 were registered to vote for the 55 of 65 seats in the House of Assembly. The other ten seats are to be filled by nominees from King Mswati III when he selects his cabinet and Prime Minister. [5]
As a result of the presence of a number of reform candidates, there was speculation of a more inclusive government by the traditionalists. However, the banned opposition groups such as the Pudemo party and the South Africa-based Swaziland Solidarity Network called for a boycott. [5]
Party | Votes | % | Seats | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Independents | 251,278 | 100.00 | 55 | |
Nominated | 10 | |||
Total | 251,278 | 100.00 | 65 | |
Total votes | 251,278 | – | ||
Registered voters/turnout | 414,704 | 60.59 | ||
Source: EBC |
A team of Commonwealth observers released a report stating that Swaziland "fell short" of its democratic obligations during the elections. It criticised poor gender equality and noted that in the 55 constituencies, only one women was elected. King Mswati III's nomination of just three women to parliament left it short of the 30% requirement outlined in the 2005 constitution and provisions to increase the number of women were ignored. The Commonwealth promised to continue exerting pressure on Swaziland for change. [6]
Eswatini, officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and also known by its former official name Swaziland and formerly the Kingdom of Swaziland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its north, west, south, and southeast. At no more than 200 km (120 mi) north to south and 130 km (81 mi) east to west, Eswatini is one of the smallest countries in Africa; despite this, its climate and topography are diverse, ranging from a cool and mountainous highveld to a hot and dry lowveld.
Eswatini is an absolute monarchy with constitutional provisions and Swazi law and Custom. The head of state is the king or Ngwenyama, currently King Mswati III, who ascended to the throne in 1986 after the death of his father King Sobhuza II in 1982 and a period of regency. According to the constitution of Eswatini, the king and Ingwenyama is a symbol of unity and the eternity of the Swazi nation. By tradition, the king reigns along with his mother or a ritual substitute, the Ndlovukati. The former was viewed as the administrative head of state and the latter as a spiritual and national head of state, with real power counterbalancing that of the king, but during the long reign of Sobhuza II the role of the Ndlovukati became more symbolic. The king appoints the prime minister from the legislature and also appoints a minority of legislators to both chambers of Libandla (parliament), with help from an advisory council. The king is allowed by the constitution to appoint some members to parliament for special interests. These special interests are citizens who might have been left out by the electorate during the course of elections or did not enter as candidates. This is done to balance views in parliament. Special interests could be people of gender, race, disability, business community, civic society, scholars, chiefs and so on. The Senate consists of 30 members, of which some are appointed by the king on recommendation of the advisory council and others elected by the lower house. The House of Assembly has 65 seats, of which 55 are occupied by elected representatives from the 55 constituencies around the country, and 10 are appointed by the king on recommendation of the advisory council. The attorney general is the ex-officio member. Elections are held every five years.
Artifacts indicating human activity dating back to the early Stone Age have been found in the Kingdom of Eswatini. The earliest known inhabitants of the region were Khoisan hunter-gatherers. Later, the population became predominantly Nguni during and after the great Bantu migrations. People speaking languages ancestral to the current Sotho and Nguni languages began settling no later than the 11th century. The country now derives its name from a later king named Mswati II. Mswati II was the greatest of the fighting kings of Eswatini, and he greatly extended the area of the country to twice its current size. The people of Eswatini largely belong to a number of clans that can be categorized as Emakhandzambili, Bemdzabu, and Emafikamuva, depending on when and how they settled in Eswatini.
Mswati III is Ngwenyama (King) of Eswatini and head of the Swazi royal family. He heads Africa’s last absolute monarchy, as he has veto power over all branches of government and is constitutionally immune from prosecution.
King Mswati II, also known as Mswati and Mavuso III, was the king of Eswatini between 1840 and 1868. He was also the eponym of Eswatini. Mswati is considered to be one of the greatest fighting kings of Eswatini.
The Parliament of Eswatini is bicameral, consisting of a lower chamber and an upper one. Some of the members of both chambers are elected, while the rest are appointed by the King of Eswatini. Election is by secret ballot in a first-past-the-post system of voting. Members of both chambers serve for five-year terms. All candidates run on a non-partisan basis, as political parties are banned.
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The House of Assembly of Eswatini is the lower chamber of the country's bicameral Parliament. The Assembly may debate and pass bills, although as the country is an absolute monarchy, the role of the legislature is mostly advisory.
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General elections were held in Swaziland on 19 September 2008 to elect the members of the House of Assembly. It was the first election under the new constitution introduced in 2006, and the first time that foreign observers were allowed to monitor an election in the country. It was observed by an Expert Team established by the Commonwealth Secretary-General at the request of the Elections and Boundaries Commission of Swaziland.
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