Swaziland ruler King Mswati III has prohibited the population from using Facebook as a platform for election campaigns until further notice.
As the undemocratic election dates are still unannounced, Chief Gija, chairman of the Elections and Boundaries Commission, declared all date-tied Facebook election posts as illegal.
“It’s like calling people on the phone and then solicit for votes, this is also illegal,” Gija told the Swazi Observer, emphasising the election regulations should be respected.
He warned Swazis who signed up to these ‘illegal’ groups to not support its activities on the social network.
Gija also pointed to the positive aspects of using social media in the election as it simplified the gathering of people for voting events.
Mswati, last absolute African monarch, will have the sole say in the negotiation of the election where no political party is allowed to participate and the elected parliament will be powerless.
The Swaziland government consists of two chambers of parliament, a 56 member House of Assembly and the Senate.
Mswati will select 10 of the 56 members, while the rest will be chosen by countrymen.
Regarding the Senate, the population has no vote as Mswati elects 20 of the 30 places and the remaining 10 are elected by members of the House of Assembly.
Despite a no-confidence vote regarding the Prime Minister by the House of Assembly in October 2012, the government has not been retrenched as the constitution requires.
