IV. Political Environment


Swaziland has a bilateral agreement with the United States with
respect to the official American presence (USAID, and Peace Corps).
However, there is no bilateral economic or commercial agreement in
effect between the two countries.

It is difficult if not impossible to discern political issues in
Swaziland as separate from the explicit control and actions of the
public authorities that are generally well disposed towards
business and actively supportive of major business interests.  Well
entrenched business interests of long standing are in fact the
basis on which both the political system in Swaziland and the more
recent economic developments have been built.  Both the political
system and the economic development have led to a gap in living
standards between the 30% of the population that has an active part
in both the political system and the formal economy and the
remainder of the society.  This gap is widening and would by
western reckoning be a potential source for political conflict even
though at present there is no explicit evidence of this.
Fortunately, there is no evidence of ethnic conflict in Swaziland.

Swaziland is a dual monarchy and the King and Queen Mother have
very extensive powers in all three branches of government.  In the
executive branch the ministers and many other officials hold their
positions at the King's pleasure and the same applies de facto if
not de jure in the judicial branch.  The parliament is in part
appointed by the King and elections for those parliamentary seats
that the King does not fill directly are held at his pleasure -
generally every five years.  This past year saw a dramatic change
in the nature of parliamentary election through the use of a secret
ballot.  Political parties are illegal.  The few political
movements afoot are often critical of the political climate and
specific actions of the public authorities but not consistently
enough to provide evidence of or basis for organized political
activity.  Clearly the King and Queen Mother do not act alone nor
are utterly unchecked in their exercise of their extensive powers.
What is not clear is the role of traditional advisory councils and
the cabinet and their respective influence on the decisions of the
monarchs.