Swazi Observer

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LAST ELECTION FOR GIJA AND EBC TEAM

By Lungelo Nkambule | 2018-06-13

This is the last election that the current Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) will manage and facilitate.

Their initial term of office comes to an end after the national elections slated for September 21.

According to the constitution of the land on Section 90 (5), the members of the commission shall be appointed for a period not exceeding 12 years without the option for renewal.

The current team led by Chief Gija came into office shortly after the 2008 elections and have been in office for at least 10 years, meaning they cannot facilitate another election after the coming one. The constitution states that the commission shall be in office not exceeding 12 years meaning they should be disbanded in 2020. In an interview with this publication, Chief Gija said he was aware of this section but said he was not the rightful person to comment.

“We were appointed into office in 2008; with the section in mind you can do the math yourself. I cannot dwell much on the subject however, the best person to contact would be the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Edgar Hillary,” he said.

Chief Gija was asked to provide clarity on the eligibility of deputy chairman of the commission Pholile Dlamini beyond 2020 having been appointed into the commission last year.

He said he was unaware of the agreements between Dlamini and the appointing authority hence he could not comment. When reached for comment, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Edgar Hillary said he could not comment because the commission was appointed by His Majesty King Mswati III. “These are political appointments, they are beyond me so I can’t comment on the matter,” he said.

The Chief Gija led commission administered and facilitated the 2013 elections although it took them years to compile a comprehensive report on the elections.

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