(From Swazi Media Commentary 15 October 2008 www.swazimedia.blogspot.com)
Swaziland’s independent civil right groups are filing a court case today
(15 October 2008), challenging the decision of King Mswati III, the kingdom’s
absolute monarch, to ban the Southern Africa Social Forum meeting scheduled for
tomorrow.
Voice
of America (VoA) radio reports today that the Swaziland Government
contends that tomorrow’s scheduled meeting will not only harm the
country’s interest, it would compromise peace, security and stability.
But local groups dismiss the government’s remarks, saying forum
participants from across the southern Africa sub-region had been
expected to discuss calls on King Mswati III to accept political
parties and other democratic reforms.
Thembinkosi Dlamini is a major proponent of the civil rights groups. From
the Swaziland capital Mbabane, he
told VoA reporter Peter Clottey that the social forum is an open space
for reflective thinking, democratic debates of ideas, and the free
exchange of experiences.
For more on this, including a radio interview with Thembinkosi Dlamini, click
here.
Meanwhile,
VoA reports King Mswati III is expected to appoint a new prime minister
following the parliamentary elections held last month that VoA says
‘were denounced as a burlesque of democracy’.
Political
observers say despite occasional unrest and a growing democracy
movement, Swaziland is overwhelmingly peaceful. But police have
reportedly prevented demonstrations by the king's critics. A
significant number of members of parliaments from across Africa who
observed last September vote said it did not meet both regional and
international standards for democratic elections.
See also SOUTHERN AFRICA SOCIAL FORUM
Link http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2008/10/banned-forum-court-to-decide.html
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