No space for four more women in parlIAMENT

MBABANE – Chief Gija, the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) Chairman, says there is no space in parliament for the four women who are supposed to be elected.

He said he was aware that the law stipulates that four women should be elected into the august House but unfortunately, such a requirement will not be fulfilled anytime soon.
He said the House of Assembly was overcrowded.

This means that the women campaigning and lobbying for seats in parliament should wait for parliament to be extended.
As to when such would happen, the EBC chairman was noncommittal, saying he was not sure because the extension of the structure was out of his jurisdiction.
He said this responsibility rested with the Prime Minister and Parliament authorities who were the right people to comment.

Chief Gija said he had discussed this issue with these authorities but the meeting did not yield any clear solution in this matter.
“We met and discussed this issue. It was in that meeting that they complained about space in parliament. They said the house was full and  it would not be possible to add on more parliamentarians,” he said.
The chairman explained that Parliament was built in the 1960s and was meant to accommodate 34 MPs but now it is accommodates 95 parliamentarians.

He said the issue of parliamentarians had been discussed at length with the country’s authorities and it was resolved that the house should be extended.
“The Prime Minister said the house would be extended,” he said.

The house is presently occupied by 55 parliamentarians who were elected from the country’s 55 constituencies.
His Majesty the king appointed 10 members to the house.
At least 30 more are members of the Senate, bringing the total number to 95.

Dlamini said his office was ready to fulfil the constitutional requirement and he was waiting for the country’s authorities to give him the go ahead with the elections.
“We are prepared to conduct the elections of the four women but we are waiting for an instruction from the authorities,” he said.
Dlamini said his office would be meeting the PM next week to try and find a solution on this matter.