Jump to content

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
Portal

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 limited 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
Botswana’s parliament as of April 2024.[15][a]

Every election has been won by the BDP.[17][18] However, recent elections have shown that support for the BDP is declining. 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%,[19] showing signs of instability towards Botswana’s dominant party system.[20]

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.[21]

Summary

[edit]

The table below excludes European Advisory Council elections as members were elected by European residents, not citizens of the Protectorate themselves.[22][23] During these elections, Bechuanaland citizens also did not get to participate in the British Administration.[23]

List of general elections in Botswana
Election Winner Runner-up Seats won by
other candidates 		Total seats Voter turnout Reference(s)
Party Seats won Party Seats won
1961[b] BPFP[c] n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a [24][25][26]
1965 BDP[d] 28 BPP[e] 3 0 31 74.55% [14][25][27]
1969 BDP 24 BNF[f] 3 4 31 54.7% [27][28]
1974 BDP 27 BNF 2 3 32 31.2% [27][29]
1979 BDP 29 BNF 2 1 32 58.4% [27][30]
1984 BDP 29 BNF 4 1 34 77.6% [27][31]
1989 BDP 31 BNF 3 0 34 68.2% [27][32][33]
1994 BDP 27 BNF 13 0 40 76.6% [27][34][35]
1999 BDP 33 BNF 6 1 40 77.11% [27][36][37]
2004 BDP 44 BNF 12 1 57 76.2% [27][38][39]
2009 BDP 45 BNF 6 6 57 76.71% [27][39][40][41]
2014 BDP 37 UDC[g] 17 3 57 84.75% [39][42]
2019 BDP 38 UDC 15 4 57 84.1% [39][16]
2024 Election to be held on 30 October 2024. 61 [9][43][44]
  1. ^ There were 57 elected members and 8 appointed members in the parliament.[16]
  2. ^ A new constitution in 1960 created a Legislative Council, an Executive Council, and an Advisory African Council. The Legislative Council had just over 30 members; 10 colonial officials, 10 blacks, 10 whites, one Asian and some co-opted members. Seretse Khama received the most votes in the election for the black representatives.
  3. ^ Bechuanaland Protectorate Federal Party
  4. ^ Botswana Democratic Party
  5. ^ Botswana’s People Party
  6. ^ Botswana National Front
  7. ^ Umbrella for Democratic Change
  • 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
  • 2024 Botswana general election constituency map
    2024 Botswana general election constituency map

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Botswana". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Britannica. Archived from the original on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Botswana National Day". www.state.gov. United States Department Of State. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  3. ^ "World Factbook Glyph". cia.gov. CIA. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  4. ^ "History of Botswana | Events, People, Dates, Maps, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  5. ^ "Cambridge University". Cambridge.org. Cambridge. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Sir Seretse Khama | Botswana Leader, Independence & Legacy | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 26 April 2024. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  7. ^ "65. Botswana (1966-present)". UCA. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Botswana at a Glance | Embassy of the Republic of Botswana in Washington, D.C." www.botswanaembassy.org. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Africa Center". africacenter.org. Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  10. ^ "Botswana: Freedom in the World 2023 Country Report". Freedom House. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  11. ^ Chan, Stephen (18 July 2017). "Ketumile Masire obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  12. ^ Padnani, Amisha (29 June 2017). "Ketumile Masire, Who Shaped and Led a Vibrant Botswana, Dies at 91". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  13. ^ "History". www.parliament.gov.bw. Archived from the original on 20 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  14. ^ a b "EISA Botswana: The 1965 Pre-Independence General Election". 27 April 2023. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  15. ^ "Botswana". Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  16. ^ a b "IFES Election Guide | Elections: Botswana Parliament 2019". www.electionguide.org. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  17. ^ Warren, Shana. "Botswana's ruling party has been in power 50 years. That could change this week". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 28 March 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  18. ^ Friesen, Paul (6 November 2019). "Analysis | Botswana's ruling party won again. This makes 12 consecutive victories". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  19. ^ "Summary of results Afrobarometer Round 9 survey in Botswana, 2022" (PDF). Afrobarometer. p. 43. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  20. ^ "The Downfall of the Botswana Democratic Party". The St Andrews Economist. 21 October 2022. Archived from the original on 2 May 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  21. ^ "Botswana 12/09". state.gov archives. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  22. ^ "European And African Advisory Councils - Hansard - UK Parliament". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  23. ^ 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. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  24. ^ "Seretse Khama Wins Most Votes". The Times. No. 55084. 18 May 1961. p. 12.
  25. ^ a b "EISA Botswana: Late British colonialism (1945-1966)". 27 April 2023. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  26. ^ "Botswana profile - Timeline". BBC News. 11 April 2011. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Elections in Botswana". africanelections.tripod.com. Archived from the original on 18 May 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  28. ^ Macartney, W.J.A. (1971). "The General Election of 1969". Botswana Notes and Records. 3: 33–34. ISSN 0525-5090. JSTOR 40979273. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  29. ^ "EISA Botswana: The October 1974 General Election". 12 April 2020. Archived from the original on 12 April 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  30. ^ "EISA Botswana: The October 1979 General Election". 10 April 2021. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  31. ^ "BOTSWANA" (PDF). Inter-Parliamentary Union. 1984. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  32. ^ "EISA Botswana: The October 1989 General Election". 30 August 2020. Archived from the original on 30 August 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  33. ^ "BOTSWANA: parliamentary elections National Assembly, 1989". archive.ipu.org. Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  34. ^ "BOTSWANA: parliamentary elections National Assembly, 1994". archive.ipu.org. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  35. ^ "EISA Botswana: The October 1994 General Election". 17 March 2020. Archived from the original on 17 March 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  36. ^ "BOTSWANA: parliamentary elections National Assembly, 1999". archive.ipu.org. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  37. ^ "EISA Botswana: The October 1999 General Election". 2 October 2013. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  38. ^ "IPU PARLINE database: BOTSWANA (National Assembly), Elections in 2004". archive.ipu.org. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  39. ^ a b c d "IFES Election Guide | Country Profile: Botswana". www.electionguide.org. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  40. ^ "Election Results". IEC Botswana. Archived from the original on 26 September 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  41. ^ "EISA Botswana: 2009 National Assembly election results". 16 November 2022. Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  42. ^ "2014 General Elections Report" (PDF). pp. 30–31. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 June 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  43. ^ "Election Calendar | EISA". www.eisa.org. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  44. ^ Mathala, Sharon (15 February 2023). "Four new constituencies come 2024". Mmegi Online. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_general_elections_in_Botswana&oldid=1255077551"