Times Of Swaziland: No Senate positions for banned parties members, warns PM

No Senate positions for banned parties members, warns PM
================================================================================
BY SIBONGILE SUKATI on 14/05/2013 02:46:00


LOBAMBA—Members of proscribed political entities such as PUDEMO and SWAYOCO
cannot be nominated into Senate.
This was said by the Prime Minister (PM) Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini in the House
of Assembly yesterday during the sitting of the PM’s office portfolio
committee.
The PM said this during the debate of the Senators Elections Bill of 2013. 
“If there are those people who carry placards then they will have to excuse
us,” said Dlamini.
The next Members of Parliament (MPs) are expected to elect 10 peo-ple into
Senate. In vernacular the PM said: “lophetse iplacard utosicolela.” He said
any members of proscribed organisations in the country would not be allowed into
Senate.
Dlamini was responding to a question posed by Lobamba MP Majaho-dvwa Khumalo,
who wanted to know if he could elect a card carrying member of any of the
proscribed entities in the country.
PUDEMO stands for the People’s United Democratic Movement while SWAYOCO stands
for the Swaziland Youth Congress. “I want to know if a person comes to me and
declares that they are a card carrying member of PUDEMO or SWAYOCO, could I
still be allowed to nominate them?” asked Khumalo.
He said he was not a person that supported any of those groups and asked if the
PM was a supporter of such groups.  “I just want to know if there could be
room for such a person to get such a nomination or even a seat in Senate?”
asked Khumalo.
On another note the PM said even a 30-year-old could be a senator.
He said being a senator had nothing to do with age as some people were mature
and capable of doing the job despite their age.
Dlamini was responding to a question posed by Siphofaneni MP Gundwane Gamedze
who asked the PM to clarify what age a senator should be. “Presently we see
children in the other chamber and they are referred to as senators, can the PM
tell us at what age a person qualifies to be a senator?” asked Gamedze.
The committee also said they were still going to debate further if a candidate
who had lost an election should be allowed to be nominated for a senate seat.
Concern over chiefs’ influence
LOBAMBA —Members of Parliament yesterday questioned what could be done to
people who received assistance during campaigns from people in positions of
authority such as chiefs.
Khubutha MP Charles Myeza cited an incident whereby  Chief GasaWangwane
allegedly said, on national radio, a particular person  should be left alone
because the individual had been sent by him and he was a development officer.
This was during the portfolio committee sitting for the Ministry of Justice and
Constitutional Affairs on the Parliament Petitions Bill.
Appointed MP Masende Zwane told the Minister of Justice and Constitutional
Affairs Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze that there were concerns from people that chiefs
had an unfair advantage as they had the power to campaign for candidates.
However, the minister asked that Myeza not mention any names during the debate.
He said, however, if the chief was on radio talking about another person it did
not necessarily mean that the person would compete for the elections.
“They aren’t at the stage of the redline where such would not be allowed,”
said Gamedze.
He said even though certain chiefs spoke or recommended candidates it did not
necessarily mean that the candidate would win the elections. “That is the
beauty of voting: It is private and a person can never known whom an individual
voted for,” the minister said.
He said even though he was also a chief there was no guarantee that all his
subjects would listen to him. “It all depends on the voter not on what a
person who is in a position of authority says,” he said.
Campaign saboteurs will be disqualified
LOBAMBA— Candidates who have agents who try and sabotage another candidate’s
campaign will be disqualified.
This is according to the Parliament Petitions Bill.  The Minister of Justice and
Constitutional Affairs, Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze, said all the agents (bogalajane)
would have to be registered and be known. The MPs, however, expressed concern
that the Bill stated that even if the candidate did not know what his agent was
up to, then that candidate would still be disqualified. “We need to discuss
this clause further at the committee stage, it cannot be allowed to happen like
this,” said Deputy Speaker Esther Dlamini, who is also chairperson of the
Justice and Constitutional Affairs Portfolio Committee.
Courts, EBC to be busy during elections - MP
LOBAMBA— Courts and the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) will be very
busy during the elections period.
This was an observation made by Manzini North Member of Parliament Macford
Sibandze during the portfolio committee debate of the Parliament Petitions Bill.
Sibandze said this after they were informed that a person who had a complaint
during elections time would be able to seek redress in court.
The MPs said this would cause even their enemies to just lay false charges
against them. “What if this person has a gripe with you and makes up all kinds
of stories?” asked appointed MP Masende Zwane.
He said for example, Lugongo-lweni MP Joseph Souza was the only person in Siteki
who has buses. “What if his enemy then organises people who would lie that
they were given free rides in order for them to vote for Souza?” asked Zwane.
Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze said it was
for the courts to determine such, but asked the MPs not to fear these laws.
MPs refuse to pass Elections Expenses Bill
LOBAMBA — Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze
yesterday expressed his concern to MPs as he accused them of having political
parties manifestos.
This was during the debate of the Elections Expenses Bill of 2013 as a majority
of the MPs said it had been copied from countries which had a multiparty system.
“I am very concerned about this matter because all of you are talking as if
you are in a country which has political parties,” said Gamedze.
The Bill calls for candidates to disclose how much funds they would use during
the secondary election stage.
Nhlambeni MP Frans Dlamini said he would not allow the Bill to pass because it
gave the minister power to dictate to an individual how to spend their money.
The Bill, however, does not state how much aspiring candidates would have to
declare. It also states that it would be in the discretion of the minister to
state how much would be spent on a campaign.
Meanwhile, appointed Member of Parliament Masende Zwane said he wanted to come
back to Parliament. He said, however, he would not like it to be known that he
had contributed to someone’s campaign. “What if I give E100 000 to MP Souza
and such facts are made public, anonymous donors must be protected,” he said.
Although Gamedze assured the MPs that such declarations would be confidential
the MPs said private information was always leaked to the media. The MPs said
they would not pass the Bill.
Khubutha MP Charles Myeza said the Elections and Boundaries Commission had slept
on the job because the public had to be educated on the Bills. “However, we
cannot blame you minister you were sent to bring these Bills,” said Nkwene MP
Aaron Dladla.