Ukhetho e-Eswatini

UMthethosisekelo wase-Eswatini ka-2005 uchaza uhlelo lwentando yeningi olubandakanya abantu lweTinkhundla olusekelwe ekufanelekeni komuntu ngamunye. I-inkhundla iyisifunda sokhetho, kanti izinduna, ezibizwa nangokuthi imiphakatsi, ziyizindawo zokuqoka abantu nezokhetho zendawo. Izwe linezifunda ezine—iHhohho, iLubombo, iManzini neShiselweni—ezinama-tinkhundla angu-59, imiphakatsi engu-336 neziteshi zokuvota ezingu-664 ezirekhodwe ohlakeni lokhetho. I-Elections and Boundaries Commission, eyaziwa nge-EBC, iyisiphathimandla esizimele sokhetho. Iphethe ukubhaliswa kwabavoti, imfundo yomphakathi neyabavoti, ukubuyekezwa kwemingcele, ukuphatha ukhetho nemibiko yokhetho. Abavoti bakhetha abantu abazongenela ukhetho ngabanye, hhayi abameleli bohlu lweqembu. I-House of Assembly ingaba namalungu afinyelela kwangu-76: afinyelela kwangu-60 akhethwa kuma-tinkhundla, ayishumi aqokwa yiNkosi, kanti izihlalo ezengeziwe zesifunda zingasetshenziswa kwabesifazane uma umkhawulo wokumelwa obekwe uMthethosisekelo ungafinyelelwanga. I-Attorney-General iyilungu ngenxa yesikhundla sayo. ISenate ingaba namalungu afinyelela kwangu-31; ayishumi akhethwa yi-House of Assembly kuthi angu-20 aqokwe yiNkosi, kuhlonishwe izimfuneko zoMthethosisekelo zobulili. Ngakho amalungu eSenate awakhethwa ngokuqondile ngabantu. Abavoti futhi abakhethi undunankulu ngokuqondile. INkosi iqoka undunankulu e-House of Assembly ngokuncoma kwe-King's Advisory Council; ongqongqoshe baqokwa kuwo womabili amakamelo ngokuncoma kukandunankulu. Umvoti kufanele abe neminyaka okungenani engu-18 futhi abe yisakhamuzi sase-Eswatini noma ahlale khona ngokuvamile ngaphansi kwemithetho esebenzayo. Ukuhlala ngokuvamile kudinga okungenani iminyaka emihlanu yokuphila nokuxhumana nomphakathi ku-inkhundla efanele, ngaphandle uma umuntu efaneleka ngokuhlala unomphela nangamaphepha adingekayo. Umuntu akakwazi ukubhalisa kuma-inkhundla angaphezu kweyodwa. Izizathu zokungafaneleki zihlanganisa ukumenyezelwa njengongaphilile engqondweni, ukudonsa isigwebo sentambo noma udilikajele, noma ukuba necala lokhetho elifanele. Ukubhalisa kwenzeka emiphakathini noma kwezinye izikhungo ezikhethwe yi-EBC ngesikhathi sokubhalisa esifanele. Inqubo yango-2023 yasebenzisa umazisi, isithombe nesithupha esathathwa ngendlela ye-optical mark recognition. I-EBC yavumela neCompetent Witness procedure yabantu ababengenawo umazisi ngaphansi kwemithetho eyayisebenza ngaleso sikhathi. I-Voters Registration Amendment Act 9 of 2023 ihlinzeka ngokubhaliswa okuqhubekayo minyaka yonke, kodwa isaziso noma iGazette yamanje ye-EBC yiyo enquma izinsuku nenqubo yokhetho oluthile. Abavoti bangahlola irejista, bafake ukuphikisa noma izilungiso, bacele nokudluliselwa kwenye indawo ngaphambi kokuvota. Ukuqokwa kwabangenele ukhetho kuqala ngokusobala ezingeni lesigodi. Umuntu ongenele ukuba yiLungu lePhalamende, iNdvuna yeNkhundla noma iBucopho udinga ukwesekwa okungenani ngabaxhasi abafanelekayo abangu-10. Ukhetho lokuqala lubanjelwa esigodini, lulandelwe ukhetho lwesibili ezingeni le-inkhundla. Ukuchitshiyelwa kwango-2023 kwashintsha inqubo yeBucopho: iBucopho ayisanqunywa esigabeni sokugcina sokhetho lokuqala, kodwa ngokhetho lwesibili. UMthethosisekelo uvimbela ukukhankasa ngaphambi kokhetho lokuqala. Ngemva kwalo, abangenele ukhetho bangakhankasa kuze kungabi ngemva kosuku olwandulela ukhetho lwesibili. Izindleko zomkhankaso zingafaka ukudla, iziphuzo, indawo yokuhlala nezokuthutha zeqembu lomkhankaso, kanti abangenele ukhetho kufanele babike izimali zabo zingakapheli izinsuku ezintathu ngemva kokhetho lokuqala. UMthetho osebenzayo nemiyalelo yamanje ye-EBC inquma ezinye izimfuneko noma izindleko zabangenele ukhetho. Umvoti obhalisiwe uvame ukuvota esiteshini sokuvota se-inkhundla abhalise kuyo. Umvoti wethula ikhadi lokuvota futhi kufanele abe kurejista eqinisekisiwe. Uma engenalo ikhadi, isikhulu esengamele singamvumela ukuba avote ngemva kokuhlola umazisi owamukelekayo ngokwenqubo esebenzayo. Kuvotwa ngevoti eliyimfihlo elifakwa ebhokisini. Usizo luyatholakala kumvoti okhubazekile, futhi ukuvota okukhethekile kuhlinzekwa ngaphansi kwemithetho yango-2023 kubasebenzi bokhetho, ezokuphepha namabutho anesiyalo, abasebenzi bezinsizakalo ezibalulekile nabasebenzi abafanele bezithunywa zezwe noma zamazwe angaphandle. I-Eswatini isebenzisa umphumela wamavoti amaningi noma othi first-past-the-post emncintiswaneni okhethiwe. Ngaphansi kokuchitshiyelwa kwango-2023, izikhulu zibala amavoti esiteshini sokuvota kunokuba ziwathumele endaweni emaphakathi. Imiphumela yasendaweni iyahlanganiswa bese imenyezelwa. I-EBC yengamela ukhetho lokuqala nolwesibili futhi ibika ngokubamba iqhaza, ukungahambi kahle, izingxabano nezincomo. Okhethweni lukazwelonke lwakamuva oluqediwe, olwabanjwa mhla ka-29 kuSepthemba 2023, kwabhaliswa abavoti abangu-584,710, okwakungu-91.2% wesisekelo sabantu abafanele esasetshenziswa kusukela kubalo lwabantu lwango-2018. Isitatimende sokuqala sababukeli esicashuniwe asizange sinikeze isibalo sokugcina sabavotile. IPhalamende livame ukulandela umjikelezo weminyaka emihlanu. UMthethosisekelo uhlinzeka ngokuhlakazwa kwalo ngasekupheleni kwaleso sikhathi; ukhetho lukazwelonke kufanele lubanjwe zingakapheli izinsuku ezingu-60 lihlakaziwe, ngesimemezelo seNkosi nangeGazette. Ukhetho lwango-2023 ludala iwindi lokhetho oluvamile lika-2028, kodwa usuku oluqondile alukabekwa lapha futhi kungenzeka lihlakazwe ngaphambi kwesikhathi. Inselelo yokhetho ingaba ngaphansi kwamandla okuqala eConstitutional Court, kanti iParliament (Petitions) Act iphathelene nezicelo ezibhekiswe ePhalamende. Uma isihlalo se-House of Assembly singenamuntu, uClerk kufanele azise i-EBC zingakapheli izinsuku eziyisikhombisa bese kubanjwa ukhetho lokuchibiyela phakathi nesikhathi esisebenzayo, kusetshenziswa inqubo yokhetho lukazwelonke; akudingeki ukubhalisa okusha.