Swaziland: Government

Principal Government Officials

Chief of State: King Mswati III
Head of Government: Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini

On July 26, 2005 King Mswati III ratified Swaziland's first constitution in over 30 years. It went into effect February 8, 2006; a 1973 proclamation that had banned political parties lapsed at that time. While the current constitution does not prohibit the existence of political parties, parties are not allowed to contest elections.

According to Swazi law and custom, the monarch holds supreme executive, legislative, and judicial powers. In practice, however, the monarch's power is delegated through a dualistic system--modern, statutory bodies like the cabinet, and the traditional governing structures of the tinkhundla system. The king must approve legislation passed by parliament before it becomes law. The prime minister, who is head of government, and the cabinet, which is recommended by the prime minister and approved by the king, exercise executive authority. At present, parliament consists of a 65-seat House of Assembly (55 members are elected through popular vote; 10 are appointed by the king) and 30-seat Senate (10 members are appointed by the House of Assembly, and 20 are appointed by the king). House of Assembly elections were last held on September 19, 2008. King Mswati III appointed a new cabinet on October 24, 2008.

For local administration Swaziland is divided into four regions, each with an administrator appointed by the king. Parallel to the government structure is the traditional system consisting of the king and his advisers, traditional courts, 55 tinkhundla (sub-regional districts in which traditional chiefs are grouped), and approximately 360 chiefdoms.

Swaziland is a member of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), with which the U.S. began negotiating a free trade agreement in May 2003. The other members of SACU are Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, and South Africa.

FOREIGN RELATIONS
Swaziland is a member of the United Nations; the African Union; the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), which it currently chairs; and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Ten accredited ambassadors or honorary consuls are resident in the country. Swaziland maintains diplomatic missions in Brussels, Copenhagen, Kuala Lumpur, London, Maputo, Nairobi, Pretoria, Taipei, the United Nations, and Washington.
 

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