List of general elections in Botswana

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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 as of April 2024
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]

  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. ^ "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. ^ "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. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  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.


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