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Elections in
Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...
take place within the framework of a multi-party democracy and a parliamentary system. The National Assembly is mostly directly elected, and in turn elects the President and some of its own members. The
Ntlo ya Dikgosi The ''Ntlo ya Dikgosi'' (Tswana for "House of Chiefs") in Botswana is an advisory body to the country's parliament.Bechuanaland Protectorate The Bechuanaland Protectorate () was a protectorate established on 31 March 1885, by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (later the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) in Southern Africa. It became the Republic ...
in 1889, the first elections took place in the territory at the start of the 1920s, following the establishment of the European Advisory Council (EAC) and the Native Advisory Council (NAC). Members of the EAC were elected in single-member constituencies by British citizens (or those who could qualify for British citizenship) with European parentage, and who met residency and wealth requirements.Bechuanaland Protectorate, 1932
Colonial Reports
It was first elected in 1921, with elections held every three years. Initially it had four members, increasing to six in 1929 and eight in 1948. The Native Advisory Council initially consisted of 30 members, five from each of the southern tribes (the Rolong, Kwêna,
Bangwaketse The Bangwaketse (also known as the BaNgwaketse, or Ngwaketse) are one of the eight principal tribes in Botswana, and are ethnic Tswana. (The "Ba" or "Bo" prefix in African tribal names in southern Africa means "people of" or "people who speak" ...
, Kgatla,
Bamalete The Balete people are a Southern African ethnic group. In Botswana they have occupied a permanent territory since around 1780, officially recognized as a tribal reserve in 1909. They are the only one of eight major tribes that do not belong to the ...
and the Tlôkwa). One of the five members had to be the tribe's chief, but the other four members were elected by the tribes "according to their customs". However, this system was criticised by some members, including SM Molema, who claimed that chiefs were picking their favourites. The
Resident Commissioner Resident commissioner was or is an official title of several different types of commissioners, who were or are representatives of any level of government. Historically, they were appointed by the British Crown in overseas protectorates (such ...
noted that his understanding was that members would be elected in kgotlas (traditional assemblies).Kenneth R. D. Manungo (1999
The role of the Native Advisory Council in the Bechuanaland Protectorate, 1919-1960
Pula: Botswana Journal of African Studies, vol. 13, nos. 1 & 2
In 1937 the system was changed to allow the Resident Commissioner to select one representative for each tribe. In 1940 it was renamed the African Advisory Council (AAC), and in 1944 its membership was changed to reflect the population of the tribes. The AAC was enlarged to 35 members, with eight from the
Bangwato The Bamangwato (more correctly BagammaNgwato, and also referred to as the BaNgwato or Ngwato) is one of the eight "principal" Tswana chieftaincies of Botswana. They ruled over a majority Bakalanga population (the largest ethnic group in Central Dis ...
, four from the Bangwaketse and Kwêna, three from the Rolong, the Bamalete, Tlôkwa, Kgatla and the Tawana, two from the Kgalagadi and two representing the Francistown area. In 1950 a Joint Advisory Council was created, with eight representatives from each of the EAC and the AAC and three nominated members. Towards the end of the 1950s, pressures to create a Legislative Council eventually led to a proclamation in December 1960 that the EAC and AAC would be dissolved in April 1961, and two new bodies, a Legislative Council and African Council, would be elected. The new Legislative Council had eleven directly elected members, ten of which were elected by Europeans and one by the Asian population. There were also ten indirectly elected African members, who were chosen by the African Council, as well as ten colonial officials and some co-opted members. The African Council was partly elected, with elected members sitting alongside the leaders of the eight chiefdoms.


Republic of Botswana

The first elections held under universal suffrage took place in
1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in for a full term as ...
, prior to independence 18 months later. The Bechuanaland Democratic Party (renamed the
Botswana Democratic Party The Botswana Democratic Party ( abbr. BDP) is the governing party in Botswana. Its chairman is the Vice-President of Botswana, Slumber Tsogwane, and its symbol is a lift jack. The party has ruled Botswana continuously since gaining independenc ...
following independence) won a landslide victory, taking 28 of the 31 seats. Following independence, the BDP went on to claim landslide victories in
1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...
,
1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
,
1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
and
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...
, winning at least three-quarters of the seats in every election. A referendum on electoral reform was held in 1987, but it only involved the creation of the post of Supervisor of Elections, and the first-past-the-post system that allowed the BDP to dominate the National Assembly remained in place. After another landslide victory in
1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
, the 1994 elections saw the best performance by an opposition party, as the
Botswana National Front The Botswana National Front (BNF) is a social democratic political party in Botswana. It has been the main opposition party in Botswana since the 1969 elections. The party achieved its greatest electoral success in the 1994 elections, when it ...
(BNF) won 13 of the 40 elected seats, although the BDP still held two-thirds of the seats. A second electoral reform referendum was held in 1997 following violent protests in 1995. The reforms included the creation of an Independent Electoral Commission, allowing Batswana living abroad to vote, and lowering the vote age from 21 to 18, with all three approved by voters. The 1999 elections saw the BDP win 33 of the 40 elected seats, following a split in the BNF in 1998. It went on to win 44 of the 57 elected seats in
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
, 45 seats in
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...
and 37 seats in 2014.


Electoral system


National Assembly

The 63 members of the National Assembly include 57 members elected for five-year terms in single member
constituencies An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...
using first-past-the-post voting, four members elected by the National Assembly from a list provided by the President, and two
ex officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by right ...
members; the President and the Attorney General.National Assembly
IPU
Since independence, the size of the National Assembly has gradually been increased; with the number of elected members increasing from 31 to 32 in 1974, 34 in 1984, 40 in 1994 and 57 in 2004. The presence of indirectly elected members began in 1974. Voters must be Batswana citizens aged 18 or over, have continuously resided in the country for at least 12 months prior to voter registration. Reasons for disqualification include being declared insane, being under a death sentence, having been imprisoned for six months or more, having committed an offence related to elections, or having dual citizenship. Candidates must be at least 21, be sufficiently proficient in English to take part in parliamentary proceedings and must not have an undischarged bankruptcy. They must also obtain a nomination from at least two voters in their constituency and the support of seven. A deposit is required, which is refunded if the candidate receives at least 5% of the vote in the constituency. Members of the Ntlo ya Dikgosi cannot stand for election to the National Assembly.


President

Candidates for the National Assembly state on the ballot paper which candidate they support for President, and the President is subsequently elected by members of the National Assembly following general elections. Candidates must be nominated by at least 1,000 voters, and be at least 30 years old. Until 1974 the President had to be an elected MP.Nohlen et al, p106


Ntlo ya Dikgosi

The Ntlo ya Dikgosi (House of Chiefs) is indirectly elected. Until 2005 it consisted of the eight chiefs of the country's main tribes, four members elected from amongst themselves by chiefs of other tribes, and three further members elected by the 12 existing members. In 2005 it was expanded to consist of 35 members, comprising the eight chiefs, five members appointed by the President, and 22 members elected by regional electoral colleges from paid tribal chiefs every five years.


Referendums

Three national referendums have been held in Botswana. The first was held in
1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...
on reforms to the electoral system, with a second referendum on the same subject in
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic (1997 film), Titanic'', the List of highest-grossing films, highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; ...
. The third referendum was held in
2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanist ...
on proposed reforms to the judicial system. Voters were asked a total of eight questions, and voter turnout was just 4.9%.Botswana: 2001 Referendum
EISA


References


External links


Botswana Independent Electoral CommissionBotswana
Psephos

Africa Elections Database {{Botswana topics