Africa-Press – Eswatini. Pigg’s Peak Hhohho traditional leaders are concerned about the Emaswati who are in the diaspora and their involvement in the national elections.
The traditional authorities are apprehensive and want assurances that Emaswati in the diaspora would not disrupt the elections in the countries where they were based.
Princes and chiefs from the Hhohho region registered their concern with the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) during a meeting in which the Commission introduced the amended Elections Act of 2023 at the Pigg’s Peak Hotel yesterday.
They asked the Commission to provide guarantees that Emaswati outside the country would not affect the process. Chief Mavelebaleni Dlamini from Ndzingeni said the word diaspora was an umbrella as it included those who were political activists, adding that some were even fugitives of the law. “How do we include the people known to be fugitives of the law and political activists pushing their agenda and those who left the country in good faith? Concerned We are really concerned about how the people in the diaspora are going to be monitored when voting,” he said. The chief further wanted to know what guarantees the Commission had that the votes from the diaspora community would not be tempered with and that the elections would be fair.
Adding to this concern, Dlamini also asked what guarantee does the elections body have that the votes would not be tempered with while being transported back to the country for counting. He said they feared that the votes could be doctored or tempered with while being transported to the country. “Ngeke yini letinombolo talamvoti bese tiyavuvuka natibuya ngalapha kantsi lemuva betondzile. How will the EBC ensure that such malpractice does not happen because these are elections, which can be rigged under any circumstances,” he said. In the same vein, Prince Kekela from Mvuma wanted to know what would happen to those with pending criminal cases and are outside the country and are counted under the diaspora community.
The prince wanted to know from the Commission if fugitives of the law would be eligible to vote together with the diaspora community. Vote “We want to know if they are going to vote or not? If they will not vote, who will see to it that they do not vote? “We know that the law clearly states what kind people are not eligible to vote, including those serving life sentences and those convicted of contravening the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act, among others,” he said. EBC Legal Advisor, Mbuso Dlamini, said Emaswati who were outside the country were known in each and every country where Eswatini had an embassy. He further assured the traditional authorities that the number of votes would not be tempered with or doctored while they were being brought to the country. “Even the counting of the votes will be done in the diaspora and only the results will be brought back by the officials who are employed by EBC.
The equipment that will be used during the voting will be made to be efficient in the voting,” said the legal advisor. Commissioner, Chief Mawandla Gamedze added that in every country where Eswatini had embassies and high commission offices, the EBC would declare those places polling stations in accordance with the Elections Act of 2023. Gamedze further explained that the EBC was empowered by the Act to appoint either the high commissioner or ambassador to be presiding officer during elections. “Please bear in mind that the countries where Eswatini does not have embassies and high commission offices, there will be no way we can hold elections there,” Gamedze added.
He said for anyone in the diaspora to vote, they needed to first present themselves for registration to the registration officer in that particular country following the law on who is eligible to register and not to do so. The commissioner further clarified that out of the plus or minus 584 000 people who registered for the national elections, only 222 were in diaspora. He said the 222 should not worry chiefs and princes as they were eligible to vote and left the country under good conditions and were not fugitives of the law or convicts.
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