Page "History of Swaziland" Paragraph 26

In 1988 and 1989, an underground political party, the People's United Democratic Movement ( PUDEMO ), criticized the king and his government, calling for ' democratic reforms '.

In response to this political threat and to growing popular calls for greater accountability within government, the king and the prime minister initiated an ongoing national debate on the constitutional and political future of Swaziland.

This debate produced a handful of political reforms, approved by the king, including direct and indirect voting, in the 1993 national elections.