General elections were held in
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory part of the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the sou ...
on 30 October 2024 to determine the composition of the
13th Parliament of Botswana as well as local councils across the country. Up for election were 61 seats of the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
as well as 609 local council seats, all elected through the
first-past-the-post
First-past-the-post (FPTP)—also called choose-one, first-preference plurality (FPP), or simply plurality—is a single-winner voting rule. Voters mark one candidate as their favorite, or First-preference votes, first-preference, and the cand ...
voting system.
The centre-right
Botswana Democratic Party
The Botswana Democratic Party (Abbreviation, abbr. BDP, colloquially known as Domkrag) is a centre-right politics, centre-right political party in Botswana. From the country's 1965 Bechuanaland general election, inaugural election in 1965 until th ...
(BDP), which had
dominated the country's politics since independence in 1966, was decisively beaten by the centre-left opposition
Umbrella for Democratic Change
The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) is a centre-left politics, centre-left to Left-wing politics, left-wing Electoral alliance, alliance of political parties in Botswana. Since the 2024 Botswana general election, the UDC has been the governi ...
(UDC). Large voter swings toward opposition parties led to the BDP falling to fourth place.
The UDC took first place with 36 seats, a majority of five. This ensured
Duma Boko
Duma Gideon Boko (born 31 December 1969) is a Motswana politician and lawyer who is currently serving as the sixth President of Botswana since 1 November 2024 and as leader of the Umbrella for Democratic Change since 2012. He served as Leader of ...
, leader of both the UDC and its largest component, the
Botswana National Front
The Botswana National Front (BNF) is a social democratic political party in Botswana. It was the main opposition party in Botswana from the 1969 elections until the 2024 elections. It is the largest component of the governing Umbrella for Demo ...
(BNF), would be elected as
President of Botswana
The president of the Republic of Botswana is the head of state and the head of government of Botswana, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Botswana Defence Force, according to the Constitution. The president is elected by the National A ...
. The
Botswana Congress Party
The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) is a social democratic political party in Botswana. Founded in 1998 as a result of a split from the Botswana National Front (BNF), the party attracted most of the BNF's sitting MPs due to a leadership dispute i ...
(BCP) took second place, becoming the
official opposition
Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. This article uses the term ''government'' as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning ''t ...
. The
Botswana Patriotic Front
The Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) is a populist political party in Botswana formed in July 2019 by members of the Botswana Democratic Party who split from the party because of a high-profile rivalry between former presidents Ian Khama and Mokgw ...
(BPF) achieved significant growth in the
Central District, increasing its number of seats. The BDP was reduced to a rump of four seats, suffering one of the worst defeats of a sitting government in the Commonwealth.
Incumbent president
Mokgweetsi Masisi
Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi (; born 21 July 1961) is a Motswana politician who served as the fifth president of Botswana from 2018 to 2024. He served as the eighth vice president of Botswana from 12 November 2014 to 1 April 2018. He was ...
conceded defeat on the morning of 1 November 2024 and ensured a peaceful transfer of power. Later that day, President Boko was sworn-in by Chief Justice
Terence Rannowane, allowing him to form
the first government since independence with no BDP participation.
Background
Previous election
The election held on 23 October 2019, saw the BDP maintain its parliamentary majority for the 12th consecutive time, securing 53% of the votes and 38 out of 57 seats, one more than in the
2014 election. The UDC garnered 36% of the votes and 15 seats, two fewer than its 2014 result. The election marked a significant
political realignment
A political realignment is a set of sharp changes in party-related ideology, issues, leaders, regional bases, demographic bases, and/or the structure of powers within a government. In the fields of political science and political history, this is ...
in Botswana's political landscape. This was because the
Central District (which had consistently supported the BDP, averaging around 75% of the vote since the first elections in
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The First 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 Second inauguration of Lynd ...
) saw large swings to the opposition due to former President
Ian Khama
Seretse Khama Ian Khama() (born 27 February 1953) is a Motswana politician and former military officer who was the fourth President of the Republic of Botswana from 1 April 2008 to 1 April 2018. After serving as Commander of the Botswana Defenc ...
's backing of the newly-formed
Botswana Patriotic Front
The Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) is a populist political party in Botswana formed in July 2019 by members of the Botswana Democratic Party who split from the party because of a high-profile rivalry between former presidents Ian Khama and Mokgw ...
(BPF) and of UDC candidates, where the BPF did not stand candidates of its own. The UDC and BPF won 11 out of 17 seats in the district, marking the first time ever that a party other than the BDP won a seat in the district. Nonetheless, the BDP made substantial gains in other regions, securing all seats in both Gaborone and districts in the southern parts of the country, offsetting the UDC's advances.
The election outcome described as an
upset was attributed to President Masisi's efforts to reconcile with segments of society previously at odds with Khama, such as labour unions, whose support had waned in the 2014 election. The rapprochement between the UDC leadership and Khama, who remains unpopular among urban and southern voters, led to a loss of support for the UDC among its traditional opposition base in the south.
While international observers deemed the elections "free and fair",
Duma Boko
Duma Gideon Boko (born 31 December 1969) is a Motswana politician and lawyer who is currently serving as the sixth President of Botswana since 1 November 2024 and as leader of the Umbrella for Democratic Change since 2012. He served as Leader of ...
contested the BDP's victory, alleging significant electoral irregularities.
Despite the UDC's claims of multiple voting and bribery of election officials, their petition to invalidate the results was dismissed by the High Court in December 2019. Although the Court of Appeal agreed to hear the case in January 2020, it was later dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.
Background of opposition parties before the election
Following the 2019 elections, there were three opposing parties in the National Assembly—the
Umbrella for Democratic Change
The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) is a centre-left politics, centre-left to Left-wing politics, left-wing Electoral alliance, alliance of political parties in Botswana. Since the 2024 Botswana general election, the UDC has been the governi ...
(UDC), the
Botswana Patriotic Front
The Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) is a populist political party in Botswana formed in July 2019 by members of the Botswana Democratic Party who split from the party because of a high-profile rivalry between former presidents Ian Khama and Mokgw ...
(BPF) and the
Alliance for Progressives
The Alliance for Progressives is a social-liberal political party in Botswana.
History
In July 2017 the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) president Ndaba Gaolathe and five other members of the party's executive were expelled from the part ...
(AP). In August 2022, the BPF joined the UDC alliance, uniting all opposition parties in the National Assembly except for the AP.
The
Botswana Congress Party
The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) is a social democratic political party in Botswana. Founded in 1998 as a result of a split from the Botswana National Front (BNF), the party attracted most of the BNF's sitting MPs due to a leadership dispute i ...
(BCP), a major member of the UDC since 2017, had expressed interest in leaving the UDC alliance due to disagreements between BCP leader,
Dumelang Saleshando and UDC leader,
Duma Boko
Duma Gideon Boko (born 31 December 1969) is a Motswana politician and lawyer who is currently serving as the sixth President of Botswana since 1 November 2024 and as leader of the Umbrella for Democratic Change since 2012. He served as Leader of ...
. Saleshando ceased to be the
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the Opposition (parliamentary), largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the ...
in the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
, after a group of UDC MPs joined by five BCP dissidents, voted him out of the position in July 2022.
The BCP proposed forming an electoral alliance with the AP and the newly-formed, Botswana Labour Party (a minor
Botswana National Front
The Botswana National Front (BNF) is a social democratic political party in Botswana. It was the main opposition party in Botswana from the 1969 elections until the 2024 elections. It is the largest component of the governing Umbrella for Demo ...
splinter party). However, the AP withdrew from the coalition talks after disagreements with the BCP largely due to disagreements over constituency allocation, opting to join the UDC instead.
In May 2023, the BCP's central committee unanimously decided to participate in the 2024 elections separately from the UDC alliance. The party cited concerns over the UDC's disregard for intra-party democracy and the vulnerability of their party leader to capture by "private interests", as reasons for their exit.
Following a party leadership retreat in April 2024, the BPF decided to leave the UDC alliance, opting for a "pact model" which would see the BPF not standing candidates in constituencies it deemed unwinnable and the UDC doing the same in constituencies which the BPF can win in, instead of running under the UDC—a proposal since rejected by UDC leadership.
The election campaign also saw the return of former president
Ian Khama
Seretse Khama Ian Khama() (born 27 February 1953) is a Motswana politician and former military officer who was the fourth President of the Republic of Botswana from 1 April 2008 to 1 April 2018. After serving as Commander of the Botswana Defenc ...
, a critic of incumbent president
Mokgweetsi Masisi
Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi (; born 21 July 1961) is a Motswana politician who served as the fifth president of Botswana from 2018 to 2024. He served as the eighth vice president of Botswana from 12 November 2014 to 1 April 2018. He was ...
, after three years of self-imposed exile in September 2024. Khama supported the BPF in the election.
Composition of parliament
The
12th Parliament was inaugurated on 5 November 2019.
Dumelang Saleshando had replaced
Duma Boko
Duma Gideon Boko (born 31 December 1969) is a Motswana politician and lawyer who is currently serving as the sixth President of Botswana since 1 November 2024 and as leader of the Umbrella for Democratic Change since 2012. He served as Leader of ...
as
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the Opposition (parliamentary), largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the ...
in the National Assembly following
Boko's defeat at the general election.
Prior to the ban on
floor crossings in 2023, the National Assembly saw two BDP MPs and two UDC MPs defect to the UDC and BDP, respectively. A by-election was triggered in the Serowe West constituency after
Tshekedi Khama
Tshekedi Khama (17 September 1905 – 10 June 1959) was the regent-king of the Bamangwato tribe in 1926 after the death of Sekgoma II.
Background
Tshekedi Khama was born in Serowe, the son of Khama III, known as Khama the Great, by his fou ...
's expulsion from parliament after he fled to
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
with his brother (and former President), Ian Khama, causing him to miss the minimum number of sessions required to maintain his seat. The
2023 Serowe West by-election was held in July 2023 and saw the BPF retain the seat at a larger majority. Yandani Boko, former UDC MP for Mahalapye East, resigned from the National Assembly in March 2024. A by-election was not held for his seat as it was deemed too close to the
dissolution of parliament
The dissolution of a legislative assembly (or parliament) is the simultaneous termination of service of all of its members, in anticipation that a successive legislative assembly will reconvene later with possibly different members. In a democracy ...
, expected by August.
Electoral system
For the 2024 elections, the membership of the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
consists of 61
MPs elected in single-member constituencies by
first-past-the-post voting
First-past-the-post (FPTP)—also called choose-one, first-preference plurality (FPP), or simply plurality—is a single-winner voting rule. Voters mark one candidate as their favorite, or first-preference, and the candidate with more first- ...
, six members appointed by the governing party and two ex-officio members (the
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
and the
Speaker).
Voters are required to be citizens of Botswana and at least 18 years old and have been resident in the country for at least 12 months prior to voter registration. People who are declared insane, hold dual citizenship, under a death sentence, convicted of an electoral offence or imprisoned for at least six months are not allowed to vote.
[Electoral system]
IPU Candidates have to be citizens of Botswana, at least 21 years old, without an undischarged bankruptcy and be able to speak and read English sufficiently well to take part in parliamentary proceedings.
[ 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
The ''Ntlo ya Dikgosi'' ( Tswana for "House of Chiefs") in Botswana is an advisory body to the country's parliament.[motion of no confidence
A motion or vote of no confidence (or the inverse, a motion or vote of confidence) is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly (usually a legislative body) as to whether an officer (typically an executive) is deemed fi ...]
, prompting their resignation or if not, the dissolution of parliament
The dissolution of a legislative assembly (or parliament) is the simultaneous termination of service of all of its members, in anticipation that a successive legislative assembly will reconvene later with possibly different members. In a democracy ...
if the president refuses to do so.
During the general election campaign, all candidates for the National Assembly declare whom they endorse for President when they lodge their nomination papers. If a party or alliance
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or sovereign state, states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an a ...
secures an absolute majority of elected MPs in the legislative elections, its presidential candidate–always the party or alliance's leader–becomes president without the need for an investiture vote. In practice, since legislative elections are conducted through first-past-the-post voting
First-past-the-post (FPTP)—also called choose-one, first-preference plurality (FPP), or simply plurality—is a single-winner voting rule. Voters mark one candidate as their favorite, or first-preference, and the candidate with more first- ...
, this has been the norm, with Botswana always having majority governments ever since independence in 1966.
In the event that no candidate secures a simple majority, the National Assembly elects the president through secret ballot, with a simple majority of the total number of MPs (excluding 'specially-elected' MPs) required to win. This election is limited to candidates who have the support of at least 10 MPs. If, after three rounds of voting, no candidate is elected, two additional rounds may be authorized by the speaker, if it is deemed that a successful election remains possible. Should these rounds also fail to produce a winner, or if the speaker declines to authorize further rounds, the National Assembly will be dissolved, and new elections will be held.
Seat redistribution
In accordance with section 64(1) of the Constitution of Botswana, a Delimitation Commission was appointed on 13 May 2022 (following the release of the decennial 2022 Botswana Census) to redistribute the constituencies of the National Assembly. The National Assembly passed a bill increasing the number of constituencies by four seats from 57 to 61 seats. Consultations with the public and various interest groups ran from 20 June to 28 November 2022. The Commission presented its finalised report to the President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
on 10 February 2023.
New seats
# Mogoditshane West
# Maun North
# Okavango West
# Okavango East
# Kgatleng Central
Eliminated seat
# Mmathethe-Molapowabojang
Election date and timeline
Unless a snap election
A snap election is an election that is called earlier than the one that has been scheduled. Snap elections in parliamentary systems are often called to resolve a political impasse such as a hung parliament where no single political party has a ma ...
is called, a general election is held every five years. The previous election was held on 23 October 2019. The president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
must issue writs
In common law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court. Warrants, prerogative writs, subpoenas, and ''certiorari'' are common types of writs ...
for an election within sixty days of the expiration or dissolution of parliament. Under section 91 (3) of the constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed.
When these pri ...
, parliament, "...unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for five years from the date of the first sitting of the National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
after any dissolution and shall then stand dissolved". If left to dissolve on its own, parliament would have done so on 5 November 2024. As a result, the latest possible date to hold the next election within constitutional limits would be on 4 January 2025.
However, due to longstanding convention, general elections are held in October and parliament is usually dissolved during the last week of August and rarely in the first week of September. Thus, on the 3rd of September 2024, President Mokgweetsi Masisi
Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi (; born 21 July 1961) is a Motswana politician who served as the fifth president of Botswana from 2018 to 2024. He served as the eighth vice president of Botswana from 12 November 2014 to 1 April 2018. He was ...
announced that the writs for the 2024 election will be returned on 5 September 2024 and parliament will stand dissolved on the same day; as a result, the election to the 13th Parliament must have been held no later than 4 November 2024.
It was widely accepted by political commentators, news media and the Independent Electoral Commission
An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
that the next election would be held in October 2024. Indeed, in his announcement the president stated that Wednesday, 30 October 2024, will be the election date and that the day and the next will be public holidays in an effort to boost turnout. The 13th Parliament shall commence within 30 days of the date of the general election. The schedule for the election was as follows:
Timetable
Voter registration
Botswana uses a 'periodic list' voter registration system where the election authority creates a new list of eligible voters every five years before each election, as opposed to a continuous register or civil registry
Civil registration is the system by which a government records the vital events ( births, marriages, and deaths) of its citizens and residents. The resulting repository or database has different names in different countries and even in diffe ...
. This process occurs just before the election and involves aiming to register all voters within a relatively short time frame. It is 'self-initiated' in the sense that voters must go to the electoral authority's centres nationwide to register themselves rather than the election authority going to the people.
The Independent Electoral Commission
An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
(IEC) oversaw the general voter registration, which began on 5 January 2024 and ended on 3 February. Approximately 2,800 polling stations were open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. All citizens aged 18 years and above were eligible to register to vote. The total number of people who registered during the general registration was 764,539. Following a lower-than-expected number of registered electors after the general registration, two supplementary voter registration periods were held. The first, from 26 February to 15 March, added an additional 74,404 registered electors. The second and final supplementary registration took place from 20 to 31 May and was conducted across approximately 2,808 nationwide polling stations, unlike the first, which was held at harder-to-reach district commissioners' offices and Kgotla
A ''kgotla'' (English pronunciation or ) is a public meeting, community council, or traditional law court of a Botswana village and in rural Lesotho and South Africa. It is usually headed by the village chief or headman, and community decision ...
s. This phase yielded an additional 197,021 registered electors.
Observation controversy
In the lead-up to the general voter registration, the UDC established the ''Madibelatlhopho'' (), a group of UDC supporters constituted ad hoc to oversee the voter registration process. Their aim was to prevent alleged rigging in favour of the BDP by the IEC. The voter registration period for the 2024 general elections in Botswana was initially scheduled to run from 1 to 30 November 2023. However, it was indefinitely postponed due to legal challenges from the UDC.
On 7 November, Justice Gaolapelwe Ketlogetswe of the Francistown
Francistown is the second-largest city in Botswana, with a population of about 103,417 inhabitants and 147,122 inhabitants in its agglomeration at the 2022 census. It is located in eastern Botswana, about north-northeast from the capital, Gabo ...
High Court issued a rule nisi requiring the IEC and other parties to justify why the UDC's ''Madibelatlhopho'' should be restrained from monitoring the national registration process. This decision temporarily allowed UDC observers to proceed with their plan to observe the registration cycle until the court's final determination. The court order permitted UDC clerks to daily record the names, national identity card numbers and registration booklets' serial numbers of registrants. The IEC announced a further postponement of the registration period, shifting it to occur from 13 November to 8 December 2023, to prevent UDC observers from accessing polling stations until the Court of Appeal, the country's highest court, made its final ruling.
The apex court ruled in favour of the IEC, denying the UDC's request to have the ''Madibelatlhopho'' access to registration booklets and other confidential voter information. This decision overturned the previous Francistown High Court ruling that had allowed the UDC to monitor the voter registration process. However, the court found no legal basis in the Electoral Act to grant the UDC such monitoring rights. The Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the Opposition (parliamentary), largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the ...
, Dithapelo Keorapetse, expressed disappointment with the judgment, viewing it as "a setback for democracy".
Parties and candidates
This table shows the parties contesting the 2024 general election as well as the composition of the National Assembly at the 2019 general election and at its dissolution on 5 September 2024.
Presidential nominees
In accordance with Section 7 of the Presidential Elections law, the Secretary of the Independent Election Commission appointed authenticating officers tasked with verifying the authenticity of documents submitted by presidential aspirants for the indirect presidential elections that occur as a form of an investiture vote after the general election of MPs. These officers were district commissioners, district officers and senior police officers. Acting as the returning officer for the presidential nomination process, the Chief Justice of the High Court received the nomination papers of the candidates on 28 September 2024, during two time slots: from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2:30 to 5:00 p.m. The venue for this process was at the High Court headquarters in Gaborone
Gaborone ( , , ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Botswana, largest city of Botswana, with a population of 246,325 based on the 2022 census, about 10% of the total population of Botswana. Its metropolitan area is home to 534, ...
. At the conclusion of this procedure, three political party leaders were duly declared as validly nominated candidates for the office of President, as shown below.
MPs standing under a different political affiliation
MPs not standing for re-election
MPs defeated in primary elections
''For further details of changes during the previous parliament see: 12th Parliament of Botswana § Floor crossings, resignations, expulsions and deaths.''
Campaign
The BDP pledged to diversify the economy through developing the mineral resources processing, agriculture and tourism sectors. The UDC pledged to increase the monthly minimum wage from 1,500 pula
Pula, also known as Pola, is the largest city in Istria County, west Croatia, and the List of cities and towns in Croatia, seventh-largest city in the country, situated at the southern tip of the Istria, Istrian peninsula in western Croatia, wi ...
($112) to 4,000 pula ($300).
Opinion polls
Results
The election resulted in a historic defeat for the ruling Botswana Democratic Party
The Botswana Democratic Party (Abbreviation, abbr. BDP, colloquially known as Domkrag) is a centre-right politics, centre-right political party in Botswana. From the country's 1965 Bechuanaland general election, inaugural election in 1965 until th ...
(BDP), which lost the uninterrupted majority it had held since independence following the 1965 general election. Significant swings toward the Umbrella for Democratic Change
The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) is a centre-left politics, centre-left to Left-wing politics, left-wing Electoral alliance, alliance of political parties in Botswana. Since the 2024 Botswana general election, the UDC has been the governi ...
in the southern and central regions, alongside losses to the Botswana Congress Party
The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) is a social democratic political party in Botswana. Founded in 1998 as a result of a split from the Botswana National Front (BNF), the party attracted most of the BNF's sitting MPs due to a leadership dispute i ...
in the north, saw the BDP reduced to a rump of four seats, making it the smallest of four factions in the National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
. The BDP actually finished with the second-highest vote share, behind the UDC. However, its support was spread out across the entire country, and was not concentrated in enough areas to translate into seats. Since the first-past-the-post system awards power solely on the basis of seat count, this decimated the BDP caucus. Conversely, the BCP, despite finishing over 79,000 votes behind the BDP, became the official opposition due to its heavy concentration of support in the north.
The table below presents the proportionality of parliamentary seats won in the 2024 election, as measured by the Gallagher index
The Gallagher index measures an electoral system's relative Proportional representation, disproportionality between votes received and seats in a legislature. As such, it measures the difference between the percentage of votes each party gets and ...
. This election yielded an index score of 23.05, indicating a highly disproportionate outcome that strongly favoured the UDC and BCP while being significantly disadvantageous for the BDP. This is the most disproportionate result ever recorded in a Botswana National Assembly election.
Aftermath
BDP leader and President Mokgweetsi Masisi
Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi (; born 21 July 1961) is a Motswana politician who served as the fifth president of Botswana from 2018 to 2024. He served as the eighth vice president of Botswana from 12 November 2014 to 1 April 2018. He was ...
conceded defeat to the UDC and Duma Boko on 1 November 2024. Boko praised the election result as an example of democracy in action, adding that "What has happened today takes our democracy to a higher level". Boko was inaugurated as president on 1 November.
Notes
References
{{Botswana elections
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
Botswana general election
Elections in Botswana