2014 Botswana general election

2014 Botswana general election
← 2009 24 October 2014 (2014-10-24) 2019 →
57 of the 63 seats in the National Assembly
29 seats needed for a majority
Turnout84.75% (Increase8.04pp)
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Ian Khama Duma Boko Dumelang Saleshando
Party BDP UDC BCP
Leader's seat None[a] Gaborone Bonnington North Gaborone Central (defeated)
Last election 53.26%, 45 seats 23.33%, 6 seats 19.15%, 4 seats
Seats won 37 17 3
Seat change Decrease 8 Increase 11 Decrease 1
Popular vote 320,647 207,113 140,998
Percentage 46.45% 30.01% 20.43%
Swing Decrease 6.81pp Increase 6.68pp Increase 1.28pp
President before election

Ian Khama
BDP

Elected President

Ian Khama
BDP

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

General and local elections were held in Botswana on 24 October 2014.[1] The result was an eleventh straight victory for the Botswana Democratic Party, which won 37 of the 57 elected seats. Incumbent President Ian Khama was sworn in for a second term on 28 October.[2]

The period leading up to the elections was characterized by an unprecedented economic downturn in the country, a direct result of the global financial crisis of 2009. Additionally, there was a surge in social conflict, including a lengthy public service strike in mid-2011, which was orchestrated by the Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU).[3] Ian Khama received significant criticism for his handling of these issues, and internal conflicts within the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) deepened. As a result, a more liberal faction of the party, opposed to Khama's leadership, splintered from the BDP and established the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) under the leadership of Gomolemo Motswaledi.[4]


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ "Khama dissolves parliament, fixes 2014 election date". afriquejet.com. 7 August 2014. Archived from the original on 7 September 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  2. ^ "Botswana's Khama sworn in for 2nd term" Archived 2014-12-02 at the Wayback Machine, AFP, 28 October 2014.
  3. ^ "Public-sector workers begin large-scale strike action". Economist Intelligence Unit. 2 May 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  4. ^ Bungu, Jerry (29 May 2010). "Botswana Breakaway Party Launched in Split With Khama (Update1)". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on 16 April 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2014.