King Mswati III of Swaziland dissolved parliament on Saturday in preparation for parliamentary elections in October and presented a draft constitution for public debate.
Prince David, the king’s brother and chairman of a constitutional drafting committee, said the elections in Africa’s last absolute monarchy would be held without political parties.
The draft constitution retained the tiny mountain nation’s non-party system because ”it is the unifying symbol in the kingdom”, he said.
The king, speaking at the royal kraal, said nothing was wrong that necessitated the dissolution of parliament other than that its five-year term had lapsed.
”The dissolution of parliament does not mean that I rule the kingdom by myself, but I will be assisted by a council of ministers,” he said.
Prince David said the draft constitution guaranteed fundamental human rights and freedoms, but warned: ”It should be noted that these rights and freedoms are not absolute. Consequently, certain limitations are imposed in the exercise and enjoyment of these right and freedoms.”
Swaziland is in the midst of a judicial and economic crisis, exacerbated by a high Aids rate, with 33,4% of the adult population estimated to be HIV-positive.
The six South African judges making up Swaziland’s Appeals Court resigned en masse in November last year because the government refused to accept one of its rulings, and Chief Justice Stanley Sapire, also a South African, tendered his resignation last month following news reports that the palace had decided to demote him.
Finance Minister Majozi Sithole warned in February that the government was facing ”ever-increasing” expenditure resulting from trips abroad by officials and corruption within the government and in the private sector.
In April, police fired teargas at demonstrators protesting the 30th anniversary of the ban on party politics. – Sapa-AFP