SADC OBSERVER MISSION: "UNBAN POLITICAL PARTIES IN ESWATINI
Head of the SADC Elections Observer Mission (SEOM) and former Vice President of Zambia Enock Kavidele has released his preliminary report on the recently concluded national elections where he states that he won't add anything new than what SADC has continuously said about our elections: unban political parties.
Kavidele was leading the mission that was deployed by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, in his capacity as Head of SADC's Troika Organ, to observe the country's national elections. Kavidele said the 2018 SEOM recommended that the Government and the people of eSwatini must conduct peaceful and tolerant dialogue with respect to the organisation of the political system, in particular the recognition of the role of political parties in the context of the Tinkhundla system.
He said this dialogue would give full effect to Section 25 of the Constitution as well as Section 236 that both subscribe to the SADC values and norms as enshrined in the Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections which provides for the right to freedom of association.
The SADC Observer mission
"The need for this dialogue was reiterated by subsequent SADC Missions, particularly those that came to this beautiful country in the wake of the violent disturbances that took place in June 2021. The purpose of these missions was to assist the Kingdom in finding lasting and sustainable solutions to the political and security challenges that the Kingdom faced," reads Kavidele statement.
He added that, for example, the Organ Technical Fact-Finding Mission that was de-ployed in July 2021 observed “that the issues behind the disturbances were political, structural or systemic in nature, with the Tinkhundla system at the centre.”
"The call for peaceful dialogue in a collective exploration of options for political governance was subsequently backed up by a formal SADC-mediated national dialogue proposal for consideration by the Government of Eswatini. Suffice to state that the General Elections of 2023 took place within the same legal framework as those of 2018, our particular Mission can do no better than to once again, appeal for a peaceful and timely process of national dialogue to give the people of Eswatini an opportunity to explore options for their political system," continued the statement.
Some of the Elections Observer missions in eSwatini
He then sounded optimistic that he had been given assurance that Government and others would hold a national dialogue on this critical structural issue, which would take place after the General Elections. Added Kavidele: "May I take this opportunity to underscore the importance of a dialogue process that is inclusive, and to reiterate that the relevant SADC structures are ready to assist the Government and the people of Eswatini in this process." The country recently finished an election where political parties are banned and are for a parliament with no real power as executive authority still rests with the king.