Swaziland Government - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Official name: Kingdom of Swaziland

Type, monarchy; independent member of Commonwealth since September 1968

Capital: Mbabane (administrative); Lobamba (legislative capital)

Political subdivisions: 4 administrative districts

Legal system: based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts, Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; legal education at University of Botswana and Swaziland; has not accepted compulsory 1CJ jurisdiction

National holiday: Somhlolo (Independence) Day, 6 September

Branches: constitution was repealed and Parliament dissolved by King Sobhuza 11 (deceased August 1982) in April 1973; new bicameral Parliament (Senate, House of Assembly) formally opened in January 1979; 80-member electoral college chose 40 members of lower house and 10 members of upper house; additional 10 members for each house chosen by King: executive authority vested in the King or Queen (with the advice of the Supreme Council of State), whose assent is required before parliamentary acts become law; King’s authority exercised through Prime Minister and Cabinet who must be members of Parliament; judiciary is part of Ministry of Justice but otherwise independent of executive and legislative branches; cases from subordinate courts can be appealed to the High Court and the Court of Appeal

Government leaders: Head of State, Ntombi THWALA, Queen Regent (since September 1983); Prince Bhekimpi DLAMINI, Prime Minister (since March 1983)

Suffrage: universal for adults

Communists: no Communist party

Member of: AfDB, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, NAM, OYU, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

NOTE: The information regarding Swaziland on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Swaziland 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Swaziland 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.