Mbabane (administrative); Lobamba (legislative)

Administrative divisions: 4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini,
Shiselweni

Independence: 6 September 1968 (from UK)

National holiday: Somhlolo (Independence) Day, 6 September (1968)

Constitution: none; constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended 12
April 1973; a new constitution was promulgated 13 October 1978, but
has not been formally presented to the people

Legal system: based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory
courts and Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: NA; note - no suffrage before September 1993; 55 of the 65
seats in the House of Assembly were filled by popular vote in the
elections of September and October 1993; of a population of less than
1 million, the electorate numbered 283,693

Executive branch:
chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
head of government: Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas DLAMINI (since 9
August 1996)
cabinet: Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and confirmed by
the king
elections : none; the king is a hereditary monarch; prime minister
appointed by the king

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Libandla, an advisory
body, consists of the Senate (20 seats, 10 appointed by the House of
Assembly and 10 appointed by the king; members serve five-year terms)
and the House of Assembly (65 seats, 10 appointed by the king and 55
elected by secret, popular vote; members serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 26 September and 11 October
1993 (next to be held NA 1998)
election results : House of Assembly - balloting is done on a nonparty
basis; candidates for election are nominated by the local council of
each constituency and for each constituency the three candidates with
the most votes in the first round of voting are narrowed to a single
winner by a second round

Judicial branch: High Court, judges are appointed by the king; Court
of Appeal, judges are appointed by the king

Political parties and leaders:
note: political parties are banned by the constitution promulgated on
13 October 1978; illegal parties are prohibited from holding large
public gatherings
illegal parties: Peoples' United Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mario
MASUKU]; Swaziland Youth Congress or SWAYOCO (included in PUDEMO);
Swaziland Communist Party or SWACOPA [Mphandlana SHONGWE]; Swaziland
Liberation Front or FROLISA