SWAZILAND: parliamentary elections House of Assembly, 2003

SWAZILAND
Parliamentary Chamber: House of Assembly

ELECTIONS HELD IN 2003

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Chamber:

House of Assembly

Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):

18 October 2003

Purpose of elections:

Elections were held for all elective seats of the House of Assembly on the normal expiry of the members' term of office.

Background and outcome of elections:

On 18 October 2003, voters went to the polls to choose 55 members for the 65-seat House of Assembly, the 10 others being appointed by the King.
The elections were held in the context of adopting a new Constitution, which was finally done on 14 November 2003. This Constitution does not provide for a transfer of power from the King to the Parliament and Government and it retains the ban on political parties. Political parties have been illegal in Swaziland since 12 April 1973 when King Mswati's father, King Sobhuza II, suspended the Constitution and the Parliament has a mainly advisory role to the King who rules by decree.
A number of organisations, including the Commonwealth, sent monitors to observe the election. For the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association observers team, the credibility of these elections was not at issue as "no elections can be credible when they are for a Parliament which does not have power and when political parties are banned".
Prior to the elections, there was a strong lobby by women's rights groups asking for 30 per cent women representation in Parliament. Nevertheless, out of the 333 candidates, only 30 were women.
Several members of outlawed parties contested seats as independent candidates, including former Prime Minister Obed Dlamini, chairman of the National Ngwane Liberatory Congress, who succeeded in winning a parliamentary seat.
Opposition groups claimed victory in a campaign to boycott the polls, as turnout was quite low in the capital and the industrial zone.
On 31 October 2003, King Mswati III appointed his constitutionally allowed quota of 10 members of Parliament, completing the number of legislators in the House of Assembly to 65.
On 14 November 2003, Mr. Absalom Themba Dlamini was appointed by the King as the new Prime Minister. Four days later, the King summoned the new members of Parliament.

STATISTICS

Comments:

Political parties are banned.

Distribution of seats according to sex:

Men: 58

Women: 7

Percent of women: 10.77

<<< Return to the Historical Archive page of parliamentary election results for SWAZILAND <<<

Chamber:
	House of Assembly
Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):
	18 October 2003
Purpose of elections:
	Elections were held for all elective seats of the House of Assembly on the normal expiry of the members' term of office.
Background and outcome of elections:
	On 18 October 2003, voters went to the polls to choose 55 members for the 65-seat House of Assembly, the 10 others being appointed by the King. The elections were held in the context of adopting a new Constitution, which was finally done on 14 November 2003. This Constitution does not provide for a transfer of power from the King to the Parliament and Government and it retains the ban on political parties. Political parties have been illegal in Swaziland since 12 April 1973 when King Mswati's father, King Sobhuza II, suspended the Constitution and the Parliament has a mainly advisory role to the King who rules by decree. A number of organisations, including the Commonwealth, sent monitors to observe the election. For the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association observers team, the credibility of these elections was not at issue as "no elections can be credible when they are for a Parliament which does not have power and when political parties are banned". Prior to the elections, there was a strong lobby by women's rights groups asking for 30 per cent women representation in Parliament. Nevertheless, out of the 333 candidates, only 30 were women. Several members of outlawed parties contested seats as independent candidates, including former Prime Minister Obed Dlamini, chairman of the National Ngwane Liberatory Congress, who succeeded in winning a parliamentary seat. Opposition groups claimed victory in a campaign to boycott the polls, as turnout was quite low in the capital and the industrial zone. On 31 October 2003, King Mswati III appointed his constitutionally allowed quota of 10 members of Parliament, completing the number of legislators in the House of Assembly to 65. On 14 November 2003, Mr. Absalom Themba Dlamini was appointed by the King as the new Prime Minister. Four days later, the King summoned the new members of Parliament.

Distribution of seats according to sex:
Men:	58
Women:	7
Percent of women:	10.77