Swaziland political system challenged ahead of elections

A Swaziland political party has challenged the country's political system a month before Africa's last absolute monarchy goes to the polls, notes a News24 report. The Swaziland High Court is hearing a case critical to the legitimacy of the country's upcoming elections. The country is expected to hold its primary elections on 18 August, and its secondary elections on 18 September. Swaziland’s government has maintained that the electoral system is a constituency-based system founded on individual merit, and that there is no place for political parties within this system. But, a local political party, the Swazi Democratic Party (Swadepa), has approached the High Court for clarification. In a statement, Swadepa President Jan Sithole said the candidates who were going to be running for office should still be allowed to publicly declare support for any of the political parties. Sithole said that the candidates should also be allowed to ‘wear and display the symbols and slogans of the political party to which they belong, should be entitled to advocate for the political party’s policies and programmes should they so wish during their campaigning and should be able to receive endorsement and financial support from such political party’. ‘What is needed is for both Swazi citizens, SADC countries and the broader regional and international community to support the eSwatini (Swaziland) government and political parties to achieve multi-party democracy,’ said Sithole.

Full Fin24 report