Swaziland adopts new constitution News
Swaziland adopts new constitution

[JURIST] The House of Assembly and Senate of Swaziland [government website] have approved a new constitution [link to PDF]. King Mswati III [BBC profile] must now approve the document, which fuses centuries-old traditions and Western democratic principles. The constitution is a product of eight years of consultations and includes a detailed bill of rights including the right to life, liberty and equality before the law. It provides for freedom of expression and assembly, but bars political parties from contesting elections. The king, as head of state, will still appoint the prime minister, Cabinet members, key judges and some legislators. The constitution has come under criticism from pro-democracy groups and been rejected by the Swaziland Coalition of Concerned Civil Organizations [advocacy website]. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Indian National Congress founded

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. In subsequent decades, the so-called Congress Party would advocate for Indian independence from the UK, which was eventually achieved in 1947. The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was elected as a member of the INC. Learn more about the history and founding of the Indian National Congress.

Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance

On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools. The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing.

Nepal ends monarchy, establishes republic

On December 28, 2007, the Kingdom of Nepal's interim parliament ended the country's monarchy and established the Republic of Nepal. Free elections were held on April 10 of the following year to elect a Constituent Assembly.

Learn more about the rise of democracy in Nepal.