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

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]


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  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.