Africa-Press – Eswatini. SOME Members of Parliament (MPs) have labelled the current election process as out dated.
They raised concerns over the influence bucopho might have on the election process since they are elected first.
With the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming elections expected to take place next year, some MPs have revealed their desire to run once again while others indicated that they would wait for the national dialogue before taking their resolution.
During earlier interviews with this newspaper, some MPs said they were willing to put the interest of the public first and would put their fate in the hands of the electorate. The MPs had also indicated that it would be best to wait for the dialogue before conducting the Siphofaneni by-elections as the current situation was too volatile.
The most recent occasion where MPs spoke about the election process was during the appearance of the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) last week.
Mangcongco MP Oneboy Zikalala noted the good work and progress done by the EBC in addressing the audit queries raised by the Auditor General Timothy Matsebula as well as implementing the PAC recommendations.
He enquired if the EBC tasked with conducting elections in the kingdom had any plans to improve the manner in which elections were conducted.
“For instance, have you not considered changing the current system of electing bucopho first before indvuna and MP? Do you not consider that once bucopho has been elected, they may have influence on the elections of the other politicians as they may have personal vendettas against the other hopefuls and root against them,” he said.
He further enquired if the EBC considered improving the current system of counting votes, which was out dated.
Meanwhile, Nhlambeni MP Manzi Zwane enquired what was causing the delay in conducting by-elections.
“This is in exclusion of the Siphofaneni by-election, which could be best conducted after the national dialogue,” he said. He further enquired why the EBC continued to educate the public about elections since the whole country was waiting for the dialogue.
PAC Chairperson Musa Kunene clarified that as things were, the dialogue was underway and until there was a written document that there would be no elections, they were mandated to continue to educate the public on elections.
EBC Head of Secretariat Khombisile Dlamini welcomed the PAC’s intervention and assured that as the EBC, they were doing all in their power to be innovative and move with the times and consider adopting new technologies to make elections as smooth as possible.
Dlamini pointed out though that there were laws in place regarding elections and as the EBC, they were expected to adhere to the laws that support the election process.
until such laws were changed, they were obliged to follow the existing legislations.
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