By Zweli Martin Dlamini

Even if King Mswati agreed to allow emaSwati to elect their own Prime Minister(PM), the calls for democracy wouldn’t be over until political parties are allowed to freely participate or contest elections.

The calls for an elected Prime Minister that commenced in Parliament was in fact,a mockery of democracy that was,however,worth compromising to allow the citizens oppressed for over fifty(50) years to gradually understand and transform into a new democratic dispensation.

In this country,the Speaker is not appointed by the King but elected by the House of Assembly and this, I would suggest, is just a drop of democracy in an ocean of dictatorship.

As a result, that drop of democracy cannot breath in a political system established and grounded on dictatorship values, where King Mswati’s word automatically becomes the law.

It should be noted that, most elected MPs who previously held this position were elected by the people but,what they did once they arrived in Parliament is public knowledge,they submitted to the authority of the King.

Therefore, electing a Prime Minister under the Tinkhundla system would be reforming this cruel and oppressive system because that Head of Government, will not serve the interest of the masses but the King and the stomachs of those who claim they can democratize Tinkhundla.

The Tinkhundla system of governance will never be democratic but, like a chameleon,it has been changing ‘colours’ over years to appear as democratic in the eyes of the people and the international community.

It is therefore important to state that, democracy is not about individuals or electing a Prime Minister but the establishment of democratic institutions that enhance accountability of public power.

Former Speaker Petros Mavimbela was elected by the people of Mhlambanyatsi but when he arrived in Parliament,he protected the interests of King Mswati, an absolute Monarch by blocking critical motions of vital public interest.

The calls for democracy should not be compromised by short-term political interests, the process of democratizing this country include unbanning of political parties, establishing of an independent judiciary and capacitating the civil society and the media among others,to be more vibrant and hold those in power accountable.

Furthermore, the process include the establishment of a democratic Parliament and a democratic and independent Legislature can only be a product of democratic elections.

The Executive Arm of Government should also be a product of democratic elections that reflects the will of the people.