List of general elections in Botswana

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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

Botswana is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Since its independence from the United Kingdom as Bechuanaland on September 30, 1966,[1][2] Botswana has been a parliamentary republic with a dominant party, namely the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), previously called the Bechuanaland Democratic Party.[3][4][5] The first president to govern Botswana was Sir Seretse Khama.[6] The country has had 13 formal general elections since 1961,[7] with one happening every five years.[8] The 2024 election is expected to happen in October.[9] Each president is entitled to two five-year terms; Quett Masire, the second president, created Botswana’s term limit in 1997.[10][11][12][13] The country first adopted universal franchise during the 1965 Bechuanaland general election.[14]

Diagram of Botswana’s Parliament as of April 2024
Botswana’s parliament as of April 2024.[15]

Every election has been won by the BDP.[16][17] However, recent elections have shown that support for the BDP is declining, and opposition parties have started getting more support. Opinion polls in 2022 conducted by Afrobarometer showed that 29.4% of people surveyed would vote for a main opposition party, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), if elections were held the next day, compared to the BDP’s 22.3%,[18] showing signs of instability towards Botswana’s dominant party system.[19]

The president of Botswana is selected after the general election. For this process, the presidential candidate from the political party that wins a majority of the seats is sworn in as president.[20]

Summary[edit]

Image of Mokgweetsi Masisi in 2023
Mokgweetsi Masisi in 2023
Image of Ian Khama in 2013
Ian Khama in 2013
Image of Festus Mogae in 2009
Festus Mogae in 2009
Image of Quett Masire in 1984
Quett Masire in 1984
Image of Seretse Khama in 1961
Seretse Khama in 1961

The table below excludes European Advisory Council elections as members were elected by European residents, not citizens of the Protectorate themselves.[21][22] Bechuanaland citizens also did not get to participate in the British Administration.[22]

List of general elections in Botswana
Election Winner Runner-up Seats won by other candidates Seats available to be won Voter turnout Reference(s)
Party Seats won Party Seats won
1961 n/a[a] n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a [23]
1965 BDP 28 BPP 3 0 31 74.55% [14][23][24]
1969 BDP 24 BNF 3 4 31 54.7% [25][24]
1974 BDP 27 BNF 2 3 32 31.2% [24][26]
1979 BDP 29 BNF 2 1 32 58.4% [24][27]
1984 BDP 29 BNF 4 1 34 77.6% [24][28]
1989 BDP 31 BNF 3 0 34 68.2% [24][29][30]
1994 BDP 27 BNF 13 0 40 76.6% [24][31][32]
1999 BDP 33 BNF 6 1 40 77.11% [24][33][34]
2004 BDP 44 BNF 12 1 57 76.2% [24][35][36]
2009 BDP 45 BNF 6 6 57 76.71% [24][36][37][38]
2014 BDP 37 UDC 17 3 57 84.75% [36][39][40]
2019 BDP 38 UDC 15 4 57 84.1% [41][36]
2024 Election expected to happen in October 2024. 61 [9][42][43]
  1. ^ Seretse Khama was announced as the winner of the 1961 election.
  • Electoral maps of Botswana general elections
  • 1965 Bechuanaland general election results by constituency
    1965 Bechuanaland general election results by constituency
  • 1969 Botswana general election results by constituency
    1969 Botswana general election results by constituency
  • 1974 Botswana general election results by constituency
    1974 Botswana general election results by constituency
  • 1979 Botswana general election results by constituency
    1979 Botswana general election results by constituency
  • 1984 Botswana general election results by constituency
    1984 Botswana general election results by constituency
  • 1989 Botswana general election results by constituency
    1989 Botswana general election results by constituency
  • 1994 Botswana general election results by constituency
    1994 Botswana general election results by constituency
  • 1999 Botswana general election results by constituency
    1999 Botswana general election results by constituency
  • 2004 Botswana general election results by constituency
    2004 Botswana general election results by constituency
  • 2009 Botswana general election results by constituency
    2009 Botswana general election results by constituency
  • 2014 Botswana general election results by constituency
    2014 Botswana general election results by constituency
  • 2019 Botswana general election results by constituency
    2019 Botswana general election results by constituency

References[edit]

  1. ^ "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. ^ "History of Botswana | Events, People, Dates, Maps, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  5. ^ "Cambridge University". Cambridge.org. Cambridge. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Sir Seretse Khama | Botswana Leader, Independence & Legacy | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-04-26. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  7. ^ "65. Botswana (1966-present)". UCA. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Botswana at a Glance | Embassy of the Republic of Botswana in Washington, D.C." www.botswanaembassy.org. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  9. ^ a b "Africa Center". africacenter.org. Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  10. ^ "Botswana: Freedom in the World 2023 Country Report". Freedom House. Retrieved 2024-04-27.
  11. ^ Chan, Stephen (2017-07-18). "Ketumile Masire obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  12. ^ Padnani, Amisha (2017-06-29). "Ketumile Masire, Who Shaped and Led a Vibrant Botswana, Dies at 91". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  13. ^ "History". www.parliament.gov.bw. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  14. ^ a b "EISA Botswana: The 1965 Pre-Independence General Election". 2023-04-27. Archived from the original on 2023-04-27. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  15. ^ "Botswana". Retrieved 2024-05-04.
  16. ^ Warren, Shana. "Botswana's ruling party has been in power 50 years. That could change this week". Washington Post. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  17. ^ "Analysis | Botswana's ruling party won again. This makes 12 consecutive victories". Washington Post. 2019-11-06. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  18. ^ "www.afrobarometer.org" (PDF). Afrobarometer. p. 43. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  19. ^ "The Downfall of the Botswana Democratic Party". The St Andrews Economist. 2022-10-21. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
  20. ^ "Botswana 12/09". state.gov archives. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  21. ^ "European And African Advisory Councils - Hansard - UK Parliament". UK Parliament. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  22. ^ a b R. D. Manungo, Kenneth. "The role of the Native Advisory Council in the Bechuanaland Protectorate, 1919-1960". Pula: Botswana Journal of African Studies, vol. 13, nos. 1 & 2 (1999). 13: 38. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  23. ^ a b "EISA Botswana: Late British colonialism (1945-1966)". 2023-04-27. Archived from the original on 2023-04-27. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Elections in Botswana". africanelections.tripod.com. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  25. ^ Macartney, W.J.A. (1971). "The General Election of 1969". Botswana Notes and Records. 3: 33–34. ISSN 0525-5090. JSTOR 40979273. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  26. ^ "EISA Botswana: The October 1974 General Election". 2020-04-12. Archived from the original on 2020-04-12. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  27. ^ "EISA Botswana: The October 1979 General Election". 2021-04-10. Archived from the original on 2021-04-10. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  28. ^ Retrieved 12 May 2024 http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/BOTSWANA_1984_E.PDF
  29. ^ "EISA Botswana: The October 1989 General Election". 2020-08-30. Archived from the original on 2020-08-30. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  30. ^ "BOTSWANA: parliamentary elections National Assembly, 1989". archive.ipu.org. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  31. ^ "BOTSWANA: parliamentary elections National Assembly, 1994". archive.ipu.org. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  32. ^ "EISA Botswana: The October 1994 General Election". 2020-03-17. Archived from the original on 2020-03-17. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  33. ^ "BOTSWANA: parliamentary elections National Assembly, 1999". archive.ipu.org. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  34. ^ "EISA Botswana: The October 1999 General Election". 2013-10-02. Archived from the original on 2013-10-02. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  35. ^ "IPU PARLINE database: BOTSWANA (National Assembly), Elections in 2004". archive.ipu.org. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  36. ^ a b c d "IFES Election Guide | Country Profile: Botswana". www.electionguide.org. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  37. ^ Retrieved 12 May 2024. https://archive.today/20140926164322/http://www.iec.gov.bw/index.php/election-results#
  38. ^ "EISA Botswana: 2009 National Assembly election results". 2022-11-16. Archived from the original on 2022-11-16. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  39. ^ "2014 General Elections Report" (PDF). pp. 30–31. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  40. ^ "Wayback Machine" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  41. ^ "IFES Election Guide | Elections: Botswana Parliament 2019". www.electionguide.org. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  42. ^ "Election Calendar | EISA". www.eisa.org. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
  43. ^ Mathala, Sharon (2023-02-15). "Four new constituencies come 2024". Mmegi Online. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_general_elections_in_Botswana&oldid=1225495201"