2009 At the Coalface: Gender and Local Government in Swaziland

The Kingdom of Swaziland has been slower than most other countries in the SADC region in moving towards democratic reform. The first parliamentary and local elections since King Sobhuza suspended the Constitution in 1973, took place in 1994 and 1995 respectively. However, as political parties were banned, they could not contest the elections. Even with the new Constitution, which came into effect in February 2006, political parties remain banned.