By Mduduzi Hlophe

MBABANE: Timothy Myeni,  the Chairperson of the eSwatini pro-democracy Members of Parliament(MPs) Caucus wrote to the Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly (IPU) seeking its intervention regarding the continued incarceration MPs in Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube. 

The IPU is a global forum that brings together Parliamentarians to address and drive change on issues  on the international agenda.

MPs Mthandeni Dube and Bacede Mabuza who were leading calls for democratic reforms in Parliament were arrested by the police after an order allegedly issued by King Mswati.

In a letter dated 18 January 2022, the Nkilongo MP wrote to the President of the IPU, Hon.Duarte Pacheco requesting the IPU\'s intervention  by sending  a fact-finding mission  in the continued incarceration of the pro-democracy MPs. 

"Their only crime  is for championing the course of democracy,by demanding that the people of the Kingdom of eSwatini should be allowed to freely and democratically elect a Prime Minister of their choice rather than the current system where the King appoints a Prime Minister to head a Cabinet”, reads the letter in part.

Eswatini is in a midst of a political crisis after King Mswati unleashed his forces to shoot and kill dozens of civilians merely for demanding democratic reforms. The King further ordered the arrest of pro-democracy MPs who were calling for democracy in  Parliament.