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Swaziland Communists condemn "sham elections"

SWAZILAND’S absolutist King Mswati III’s desperation has sunk to “the lowest levels,” communists charged today as he banned all public activity ahead of sham elections at the end of the month.

The Communist Party of Swaziland blasted the autocrat’s decision to ban all activity on August 24 and 25, the day of the tinkhundla elections.

It warned that far from giving people an opportunity to vote, the decree will be “violently enforced” to propagate the sham.

There are 55 tinkhundla in Swaziland with each electing one representative to the House of Assembly of Swaziland, the lower chamber of the bicameral parliament.

But political parties are banned and King Mswati has ruled as Swaziland’s absolutist monarch since he came to the throne in 1986.

The CPS branded the parliament “Mswati’s puppet” as it has no real powers to hold him to account.

Last month police raided 10 churches and forced those present to register for the tinkhundla elections to increase turnout.

CPS general secretary Kenneth Kunene said party cadres would be going across the country putting forward their transitional programme calling for true democracy in Swaziland.

“We encourage other formations in the pro-democracy movement to do the same and organise political activities in defiance of the ban and the undemocratic elections,” he said.

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