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General elections were held in Botswana on 18 October 1969, the first since independence in September 1966. With 140,428 registered voters, a decrease from the 188,950 in 1965, turnout was 54.73%. [1] The result was a second successive landslide victory for the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), who won 24 of the 31 elected seats, [2] including three in which they were unopposed. [3]
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966. Since then, they maintain a tradition of stable representative republic, with a consistent record of uninterrupted democratic elections and the best perceived corruption ranking in Africa since at least 1998. It is currently Africa's oldest continuous democracy.

The Botswana Democratic Party is the governing party in Botswana. Its chairman is the current Vice-President of the Republic of Botswana, Slumber Tsogwane. The previous party chairs include, among others, Mokgweetsi Masisi, Ponatshego Kedikilwe, Daniel Kwelagobe, Samson Guma Moyo, and Lieutenant General Ian Khama.
A total of 77 candidates contested the elections. The BDP put up a full slate of 31 candidates, whilst the Botswana National Front had 21, the Botswana People's Party had 15, the Botswana Independence Party had nine, and there was also a single independent candidate. [3]
The Botswana National Front has been the main opposition party in Botswana since the 1969 elections. It achieved its greatest electoral success in the 1994 elections, when it won 37.1% of the vote and 13 of 40 parliamentary seats. A factional conflict in 1998 led to the departure of 11 of these MPs, who then founded the Botswana Congress Party (BCP). In the 1999 elections, the BNF's vote share declined to 26% and it won 6 parliamentary seats. In the 2004 general election the party won 26.1% of the popular vote and 12 out of 57 seats. Its representation was sharply reduced in the 2009 elections, with the party reduced to only six seats in the National Assembly of Botswana. The BNF's parliamentary representation fell to 5 seats following the defection of the party's former Vice President, Olebile Gaborone, to the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in July 2010.
The Botswana People's Party (BPP) was formed as the Bechuanaland People's Party during Botswana's colonial era, in December 1960. As a result of disappointment with the Legislative Council, under the leadership of Kgalemang T. Motsete, an accomplished music composer and educationist, BPP became the first mass party to agitate for full independence.
The Botswana Independence Party (BIP) was a political party in Botswana that existed from 1964 to 1995.
The Botswana National Front was founded following the 1965 elections, and was headed by Kenneth Koma. However, Koma was overshadowed by Bathoen II, the paramount chief of the Bangwaketse. Bathoen abdicated his throne to become BNF president, and had also resigned from the Ntlo ya Dikgosi, which he regarded as powerless. [3] He was the first traditional leader to run in an election. [3]
The Bangwaketse are one of the eight principal tribes in Botswana, and are ethnic Tswana. Kanye is the original Bangwaketse village located in the Southern District settled in 1853, originally called Ntsweng Hill. The king of the tribe is King Malope II, son of Seepapitso IV. The Bangwaketse people live in the arid mountainous region of Southern Botswana mentioned in the book Cherub: Guardian Angel. It is bordered by Moshupa, Lobatse, Jwaneng and is a 45-minute drive from Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana. The town is served by Kanye Airport.
The Ntlo ya Dikgosi in Botswana is an advisory body to the country's parliament.
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Botswana Democratic Party | 52,218 | 68.3 | 24 | –4 |
| Botswana National Front | 10,410 | 13.5 | 3 | New |
| Botswana People's Party | 9,329 | 12.1 | 3 | 0 |
| Botswana Independence Party | 4,601 | 6.0 | 1 | +1 |
| Total | 76,858 | 100 | 31 | 0 |
| Registered voters/turnout | 140 428 | 54.7 | – | – |
| Source: Nohlen et al. | ||||
Quett Ketumile Joni Masire, GCMG was the second President of Botswana, in office from 1980 to 1998. He was a leading figure in the independence movement and then the new government, and played a crucial role in facilitating and protecting Botswana's steady financial growth and development. He stepped down in 1998 and was succeeded by Vice-President Festus Mogae, who became the third President of Botswana.
General elections were held in Botswana on 30 October 2004, alongside local elections. The result was a ninth straight victory for the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which won 44 of the 57 seats in the National Assembly.

The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) is a social-democratic political party in Botswana. The BCP was founded in 1998 in a split from the Botswana National Front, with most of the BNF's sitting Members of Parliament joining the new party after a leadership dispute with Kenneth Koma. MPs who helped found the party included Michael Dingake, Gilson Saleshando, Paul Rantao, Maitshwarelo Dabutha, Isaac Mabiletsa and Vain Mamela. The BCP's first national conference was held in April 1999, before the general election in October 1999.
Elections in Botswana 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 is a mixture of appointed, hereditary and indirectly elected members.
The Patriotic Front for Progress is a political party in the Central African Republic. It is an observer member of the Socialist International.
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