Under the 2005 constitution the Kingdom of Swaziland is an absolute monarchy. The monarch (His Majesty King Mswati III ) approves the Prime Minister, approves the cabinet and can veto laws and dissolve parliament, though no longer rules by decree.
Under the tinkhundla electoral system, there is a parliament of two houses. The House of Assembly has up to 76 members, ten (including at least five women) appointed by the monarch, 60 elected by tribal or community committees and four women elected by the two houses of parliament (one from each region). The Senate has up to 31 members, with ten chosen by the Assembly (including at least five women) and 20 by the monarch (at least eight women)...
The electoral system is intricate and there have been concerns about the participation of the 70% of Swazi people who live in rural areas. A forward step had to be taken. #That’s why Swaziland’s Coordinating Assembly of NGOs (CANGO, established 1983) decided to do a civic/election education project, funded by the Commonwealth Foundation.
CAN -GO Attitude
The constitution provided for an independent judiciary and for human rights, including freedom of assembly and association, but it made no reference to political parties. In 2008 CANGO took the view that: “Although it is still not clear if political parties will be legalised to contest political power, the citizens need to be empowered to understand the legal issues regarding the elections, the role and responsibilities of voters, how to exercise the right to vote and the roles of elected officials in representing the interests of constituencies.” The project involved:
- Developing a civic education guide
- Selecting trainers
- Delivering the training to around 1200 people, through five NGOs
- Preparing press kits, including information in the Siswati language for twice-daily broadcast on national radio
- Reaching out to specific groups such as the disabled, women and youth
- Bringing together the Civil Society Elections Network, and partnering with the Elections and Boundaries Commission.
CANGO started life as an umbrella body for NGOs working in primary health care, still a great concern in a country with one of the highest rates of HIV infection (39.2% in 2006).
CANGO is heartened that the 2008 elections went ahead successfully without intimidation or fraud with queues of voters forming at dawn to wait patiently in the sun.