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NOMINEES DIVIDED OVER SPECIAL VOTE RESULTS

By SIFISO DLAMINI, BONGIWE DLAMINI, SIFISO NHLABATSI AND KWANELE SIBIYA | 2023-08-23

Nominees in the primary elections are divided over the announcement of the vote count before the main primary elections on Saturday.

Results of some chiefdoms started trickling in from around 9:30pm but were yet to be confirmed by the Elections and Boundaries Committee (EBC).

Nominees were made to sign confidentiality forms binding them from sharing the results with the public before they were announced by the commission.

Some of the nominees said this would give an unfair advantage to some, while others felt that it would be best for them to know so that they could best prepare for the final outcome.
However, one of the nominees from Manzini South said he had no issues with the announcement of the results on the same day as they would bring clarity on where they stood.

“This is not final and if you are lagging behind, this may give you a chance to prepare yourself for the final outcome. For me, it is better this way than to wait in anticipation all week long,” he said.
He also stated that there was no point in counting and not announcing the results on the same day as that would raise questions.

Another nominee said he was not happy about this and preferred the old system of announcing the results on the final day of the primary elections.

This follows the special voting conducted at Manzini Central and St. Michael’s High Schools and Divine Healing Ministries where the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) announced the winners after the counting of the votes last night.

Electorates from constituencies under Shiselweni and Lubombo regions were hosted at Manzini Central High School, while those from Manzini voted at Divine Healing Ministries.
Hhohho electorates cast their votes at St Michael’s High School.

Before the counting exercise, nominees for indvuna yenkhudla and Members of Parliament were made to sign confidentiality forms assuring that they would not reveal the results to the public before the EBC made the official announcement.

During the counting process, nominees were patiently seated in the voting halls while the voters were gathered at the doors and windows in an attempt to get a glimpse of the counting process.
Some voters were standing in small groups discussing the prospects of their preferred candidates.

EBC Communications Officer, Mbonisi Bhembe, confirmed that the preliminary results would be published after the counting of the votes was completed.

Bhembe said the Commission was happy about the special voting, which went ahead relatively peacefully despite some minor issues involving angry voters, who were turned back by members of the security forces.

“We are happy with how the process went and the objective was to conduct the process successfully and we managed to do that,” he said.

He further stated that the total number of voters would be shared with the public at a later date.
According to Bhembe, the voting and counting of the votes was a new process adding that they were happy with the progress made on the first day of voting.

Only nominees, returning and presiding officers were allowed in the voting hall once the counting process began.

“The media will also not be allowed in but we assure the nation that the process, will be free and fair for all. We will announce the results to the public,” said Bhembe.
Meanwhile, some aspiring politicians were left frustrated as they were locked outside the polling stations as they arrived after the counting began.

Some who had their pictures on their phones were allowed in but those who did not have proof that they were nominees, were locked outside.

Others struggled to find the voting halls for their constituencies after they were changed for the counting process.
They were, however, assisted by the officials who were visible outside the counting stations.

Nominees question
correctional special voting

Some nominees questioned the integrity of special voting at correctional facilities saying it was ‘private’ and raised a concern why they were not allowed to monitor the process.

They argued that they should have at least been allowed to monitor vote counting.
Some of the nominees expressed their dissatisfaction with the correctional services special voting, despite giving credit to the overall process at the polling stations at St Michaels High School, Divine Healing Ministries and Manzini Central High School, which they said was transparent.

“So far everything is going smoothly and we appreciate the presence of the security officers also partaking in the voting exercise, while executing their duties and ensuring security at the polling stations,” they said. Based on his observation, they said the process was free and fair for all as thousands of Emaswati showed up in their numbers.

They noted that the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) took time to show them the polling stations where they also verified that the containers of the votes were empty before the exercise began.

They were also impressed with the security provided for the containers, who ensured that these were locked after each candidate had casted their vote.

Despite being appreciative of these measures, they however expressed their concerns with regards to the exercise undertaken at the correctional facilities.

“Our main concern is that we have a number of voters in the various correctional facilities around the country but they do not know us and only see us in the media,” they argued.
Their raised fears and uncertainty over who was overseeing the process and how the votes would be counted in their absence.

“We are not saying that there is corruption but it is our fear that this could be tainted.”
According to the concerned nominees, the commission should consider correcting this next term in order to ensure that the process was transparent to avoid issues by allowing the inmates to vote in public areas where they would have access to them.

Their wish was that the correctional special vote should not be made secret, in as much as they were inmates and were kept in a secure facility, where security should not be compromised.
The secrecy, according to the nominees, made them to doubt the votes adding that this could spark debates and create doubt over the integrity of the votes.

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