Administrative divisions:
4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni
Independence:
6 September 1968 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 6 September (1968)
Constitution:
the first constitution was signed into law in July 2005 and is
scheduled to be implemented in January 2006
Legal system:
based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts and
Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age
Executive branch:
chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
head of government: Prime Minister Absolom Themba DLAMINI (since 14
November 2003)
cabinet: Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and confirmed by
the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed
by the monarch
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Libandla, an advisory body, consists of the
Senate (30 seats - 10 appointed by the House of Assembly and 20
appointed by the monarch; members serve five-year terms) and the
House of Assembly (65 seats - 10 appointed by the monarch and 55
elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 18 October 2003 (next to be
held October 2008)
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; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are appointed
by the monarch
Political parties and leaders:
political parties are banned by the government under an emergency
decree that will be revoked when the new constitution takes effect
(January 2006)- the following are considered political associations;
Imbokodvo National Movement or INM; Ngwane National Liberatory
Congress or NNLC [Obed DLAMINI, president]; People's United
Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU, president]