Swazi political mission in Morocco

A Swazi political delegation started Sunday a study mission to Morocco to assess the Kingdom's democratic experience and its applicability in Swaziland.

The delegation will confer with Moroccan officials on issues related to constitutional development, the monarchy and traditional authorities, political parties, government, the civil society and gender and youth, the Washington-based National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), which sponsors the mission, said in a release faxed to MAP.

The visit will focus on assessing the harmonization of democratic principles into Morocco's traditional structures and the viability of these principles within the Swazi context.

The study mission is designed to demonstrate that democratic culture often includes respect for traditional institutions, such as the monarchy, hereditary leaders and customary laws, the NDI said, adding that exposing Swazis to other viable models of governance and transition beyond that of South Africa will assist the progression of the ongoing constitutional review in Swaziland.

This is the third mission that NDI has organized in Morocco. The NDI is a non-governmental organization, working to strengthen and expand democracy worldwide.