Politics of Botswana
Constitution
Government
Parliament
Judiciary
Administrative divisions
Elections
Foreign relations

Botswana is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa.[1] Since its independence from the United Kingdom as Bechuanaland on September 30 1966,[2][1] Botswana has been a parliamentary republic[3] with a dominant party, being the Botswana Democratic Party.[4]

It has had 13 formal general elections, [5] with one happening every 5 years. [6] The next election is expected to happen in October 2024.[7] Each president is entitled to two 5-year terms.[8] However, the first president to follow this term limit was president Festus Mogae.[9]

The first president to rule Botswana was Sir Seretse Khama.[10]

Botswana’s parliament as of April 2024.[11]
Sir Seretse Khama, the first president of Botswana.[10]

Every single election has been won by the Botswana Democratic Party.[12] However, recent elections have start to show that support for the BDP is declining, and opposition parties have started getting more support- however, they still hold 70% of all seats in the Parliament.[12]

Summary

The table below shows every general election Botswana has had,[5] along with the amount of votes, seats won, party, and percentage of votes for the winner of the election, the runner up, and the other candidates combined. References are included next to the election.

Election Party of Winner Winner of Election Percentage of votes Amount of votes Amount of seats won Runner-up Party of Runner-up Percentage of votes for the Runner-up Amount of votes for Runner-up Amount of seats won by runner-up Percentage of votes for other candidates Amount of votes for other candidates Amount of seats won by other candidates
1961 Bechuanaland general election[13][14][15] None at the time Seretse Khama Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
1965 Bechuanaland general election[13][14][15][16][17][18] BDP Seretse Khama 80.38% 113,167 28 Philip Matante BPP 14.18% 19,964 3 5.44% 27,621 0
1969 Botswana general election[13][15][19][18][20] BDP Seretse Khama 68.33% 52,518 24 Bathoen Gaseitsiwe BNF 13.54% 10,410 3 18.13% 13,930 4
1974 Botswana general election[13][15][18][21] BDP Seretse Khama 76.62% 49,074 27 Bathoen Gaseitsiwe BNF 11.49% 7,358 2 11.88% 7,606 3
1979 Botswana general election[13][15][18][22] BDP Seretse Khama 75.17% 101,098 29 Kenneth Koma BNF 13.00% 17,480 2 13.00% 15,918 1
1984 Botswana general election[13][15][18][23] BDP Quett Masire 68.00% 154,863 29 Kenneth Koma BNF 20.44% 46,550 4 11.56% 26,343 1
1989 Botswana general election[13][15][18][24][25] BDP Quett Masire 64.78% 162,277 31 Kenneth Koma BNF 26.95% 67,513 3 8.26% 20,697 0
1994 Botswana general election[13][15][18][26][27] BDP Quett Masire 54.59% 154,705 27 Kenneth Koma BNF 37.09% 105,109 13 8.31% 23,561 0
1999 Botswana general election[13][15][18][28][29][30] BDP Festus Mogae 57.14% 192,598 33 Kenneth Koma BNF 25.95% 87,457 6 16.90% 56,928 1
2004 Botswana general election[13][15][18][31][32][33] BDP Festus Mogae 51.73% 213,308 44 Otsweletse Moupo BNF 26.06% 107,451 12 22.21% 91,620 1
2009 Botswana general election[13][15][18][34][35][36] BDP Ian Khama 53.26% 290,099 45 Otsweletse Moupo BNF 21.94% 119,509 6 24.79% 135,039 6
2014 Botswana general election[13][15][18][37][38] BDP Ian Khama 46.45% 320,647 37 Duma Boko UDC 30.01% 207,113 17 23.54% 162,482 3
2019 Botswana general election[13][15][18][39] BDP Mokgweetsi Masisi 52.65% 406,561 38 Duma Boko UDC 35.88% 277,071 4 11.46% 88,526 4
2024 Botswana general election[7] TBD

References

  1. ^ a b "Botswana". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Britannica. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Botswana National Day". www.state.gov. United States Department Of State. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  3. ^ "www.cia.gov". cia.gov. CIA. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Cambridge University". Cambridge.org. Cambridge. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  5. ^ a b "65. Botswana (1966-present)". UCA. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  6. ^ Mogalakwe, Monageng (2015-01-02). "An assessment of Botswana's electoral management body to deliver fair elections". Journal of Contemporary African Studies. 33 (1): 105–120. doi:10.1080/02589001.2015.1021210. ISSN 0258-9001. S2CID 154949350.
  7. ^ a b "Africa Center". africacenter.org. Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Botswana: Freedom in the World 2023 Country Report". Freedom House. Retrieved 2024-04-27.
  9. ^ https://www.dibussi.com/2008/01/respecting-pres.html
  10. ^ a b "Sir Seretse Khama | Botswana Leader, Independence & Legacy | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-04-26. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  11. ^ "The Legislature – EMBASSY AND PERMANENT MISSION OF BOTSWANA IN SWITZERLAND". Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  12. ^ a b Warren, Shana. "Botswana's ruling party has been in power 50 years. That could change this week". Washington Post.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Nohlen, Dieter; Thibaut, Bernard; Krennerich, Michael (1999-07-22). Elections in Africa: A Data Handbook. OUP Oxford. ISBN 978-0-19-152267-3.
  14. ^ a b "EISA Botswana: Late British colonialism (1945-1966)". web.archive.org. 2023-04-27. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Baumhögger, Goswin (1999-07-22), "Botswana", Elections in Africa, Oxford University PressOxford, pp. 103–122, doi:10.1093/0198296452.003.0005, ISBN 0-19-829645-2, retrieved 2024-04-29
  16. ^ Gossett, Charles W.; Lotshwao, Kebapetse (2009). "Report on the 1965 General Election and the 1966 Local Government Election". Botswana Notes and Records. 41: 47–63. ISSN 0525-5090.
  17. ^ "EISA Botswana: The 1965 Pre-Independence General Election". web.archive.org. 2023-04-27. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "BW.xlsx". Election Passport. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  19. ^ Macartney, W.J.A. (1971). "The General Election of 1969". Botswana Notes and Records. 3: 32–36. ISSN 0525-5090.
  20. ^ "EISA Botswana: The October 1969 General Election". web.archive.org. 2023-04-27. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  21. ^ "EISA Botswana: The October 1974 General Election". web.archive.org. 2020-04-12. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  22. ^ "EISA Botswana: The October 1979 General Election". web.archive.org. 2021-04-10. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  23. ^ http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/BOTSWANA_1984_E.PDF
  24. ^ "EISA Botswana: The October 1989 General Election". web.archive.org. 2020-08-30. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  25. ^ "BOTSWANA: parliamentary elections National Assembly, 1989". archive.ipu.org. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  26. ^ "BOTSWANA: parliamentary elections National Assembly, 1994". archive.ipu.org. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  27. ^ "EISA Botswana: The October 1994 General Election". web.archive.org. 2020-03-17. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  28. ^ "Elections in Botswana". africanelections.tripod.com. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  29. ^ "BOTSWANA: parliamentary elections National Assembly, 1999". archive.ipu.org. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  30. ^ "EISA Botswana: The October 1999 General Election". web.archive.org. 2013-10-02. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  31. ^ "IPU PARLINE database: BOTSWANA (National Assembly), Elections in 2004". archive.ipu.org. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  32. ^ https://www.eisa.org/storage/2023/05/2005-journal-of-african-elections-v4n1-botswanas-2004-election-free-fair-eisa.pdf
  33. ^ "Elections in Botswana". africanelections.tripod.com. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  34. ^ "IPU PARLINE database: BOTSWANA (National Assembly), Last elections". archive.ipu.org. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  35. ^ https://archive.today/20140926164322/http://www.iec.gov.bw/index.php/election-results#
  36. ^ "EISA Botswana: 2009 National Assembly election results". web.archive.org. 2022-11-16. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  37. ^ https://www.iec.gov.bw/images/documents/2014%20General%20Elections%20Report.pdf
  38. ^ "Wayback Machine" (PDF). web.archive.org. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  39. ^ https://www.iec.gov.bw/images/Botswana_2019_General_Elections_REPORT(1).pdf
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