The Kingdom of Swaziland has been a constitutional non-party state since 1978 with the king wielding virtually absolute power.
Governance therefore tends to be authoritarian, and economic and external policies are conservative.
Dominated by a hereditary power elite, the kingdom is being increasingly challenged by modernising forces demanding democratisation, including a multiparty system. At present, Swaziland is the only state in Southern Africa that proscribes competitive politics. A pro-democracy strike in February 1997 did tremendous economic damage and wrung a few concessions from King Mswati II, in particular his agreement to consider a review of the ban on political parties. Further strikes and a border blockade by trade unionists in November 2000 provoked an authoritarian response. Key questions about how far Mswati is prepared to go in a reform programme remain unanswered and there is a strong possibility of further confrontations over political reform ahead.