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Observers keen to see how SD elections will play out

07/08/2013 03:43:00 BY MBONGISENI NDZIMANDZE

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MBABANE – With Zimbabwe elections recently concluded and Swaziland’s one is just beginning, it is with a keen eye that observers will watch how the kingdom’s 2013 National General Elections play out.

The results from the Zimbabwean elections reveal that Robert Mugabe, the long serving President of that country, was re-elected for yet another term.
Mugabe has presided over Zimbabwe for 33 years. Critics of his regime have called the results flawed and cited many irregularities in the way the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission conducted the elections process.

Among which, is the unavailability of the voters’ roll to all parties prior to the voting process.
Swaziland’s Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) managed to cross this hurdle by releasing the voters’ roll a week before nominations this past weekend.

EBC’s Ncumbi Maziya also urged the electorate to check if their names appeared on the roll and in the correct chiefdom.
The EBC’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) Sabelo Dlamini said Southern African Developing Communities (SADC) Elections Observers would contact the EBC about when they would be coming to observe the kingdom’s ongoing elections as it was their call.

The SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections states that elections observers should be deployed at least two weeks before the voting day.
Swaziland’s Primary Elections will be held on August 24 and the Secondary Elections on September 20, 2013.

From Zimbabwe to Swaziland
VOTER EDUCATION
Swaziland’s voter population is 600 000.
The EBC conducted voter education with emphasis on campaigns for the electorate to consider women and people living with disabilities.
The voter education also warned people against falling for promises from people who enticed them for their votes.
The EBC said approximately 400 000 people had registered to vote after their voter education exercise.

Zimbabwe voter population is 1.6 million: The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission was found wanting with regards to voter education.
It reportedly deployed only two people per area to undertake the exercise and some were geographically vast. The ZEC claimed that about six million people had registered for the elections after this voter exercise was carried out.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO EXERCISE THE RIGHT TO VOTE AND BE VOTED FOR
Swaziland: Reports of women wearing pants and mourning gowns being victimised and meeting opposition in standing for the elections have been filtering in.

Cultural dictates state that women should not enter a royal kraal dressed in pants and women in mourning gowns are also not permitted. Swaziland’s cultural norms seem to clash with women’s constitutional rights in this regard.
Zimbabwe: Reports were circulating about how civil society organisations hoping to observe the current voter registration were turned back by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. The ZEC stated that reasons for this ranged from not satisfying the legal requirements and perceived partisan work of some of the organisations.

TIMEOUS ANNOUNCEMENT
OF THE ELECTION DATE
Swaziland: The date for the National General Elections was announced in June, three months prior to the date of the Secondary Elections; September 20, 2013.
Zimbabwe: The elections date was announced on June 13, 2013 by President Robert Mugabe who declared that they would be held on July 31, 2013.

FUNDING OF POLITICAL PARTIES MUST BE TRANSPARENT AND BASED ON AGREED THRESHOLD IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE LAND

Swaziland: The Ninth Parliament vehemently opposed the clause in the Elections Expenses Bills, which requires aspirant Members of Parliament to open bank accounts, which will contain the funds they will use to campaign. The former MPs felt that this was more suited to a country with a multiparty system of governance.

Zimbabwe: Zanu-PF reportedly received funds from Meikles Group and there was no negative consequence from this. In 2004 it was rumoured that the Trust Bank’s banking licence was withdrawn because it had allocated more political funding to the MDC.

SADC ELECTION OBSERVATION MISSIONS SHOULD BE DEPLOYED AT LEAST TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE VOTING DAY
Swaziland: The EBC says the arrival of the elections observers is up to them keeping in line with the guidelines of the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.

Zimbabwe: 15 observers refused to sign the Zimbabwe Elections report after citing the outrageous manner in which the elections were held.
The report allegedly noted with satisfaction the general calm and peaceful atmosphere throughout the elections period.
Criticism was raised, however, regarding the voters’ roll, which civic organisations called ‘flawed’.

GUIDELINES FOR THE
OBSERVATION OF ELECTIONS
SADC member states shall be guided by the following guidelines to determine the nature and scope of election observation:
*    Constitutional and legal guarantees of freedom and rights to the citizens:
*    Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections:
*    Non-discrimination in the voters’ registration;
*   Existence of updated and accessible voters’ roll;
*    Timeous announcement of the election date;
*    Where applicable, funding of political parties must be transparent and based on agreed threshold in accordance with the laws of the land;
*    Polling stations should be in neutral places;
*    Counting of votes at polling stations;
*   Establishment of the mechanism for assisting the planning and deployment of electoral observation missions; and
*    SADC Election Observation Missions should be deployed at least two weeks before the voting day

Sourced from: www.itv.com; www.sadc.int/news-events/, news.xinhuanet.com. www.theindependent.co.zw