Botswana is a parliamentary republic in which the President of Botswana is both head of state and head of government. The nation's politics are based heavily on British parliamentary politics and on traditional Batswana chiefdom. The legislature is made up of the unicameral National Assembly and the advisory body of tribal chiefs,the Ntlo ya Dikgosi. The National Assembly chooses the president,but once in office the president has significant authority over the legislature with only limited separation of powers.
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 armed forces,according to the Constitution. Sir Seretse Khama was the prime minister from 1965 to 1966,however he later became president of Botswana,and as of 2024 there have been no prime ministers since.
The Botswana Democratic Party is a centre-right political party in Botswana. From the country's inaugural election in 1965 until the 2024 general election the party governed the country without interruption for 58 years. At the time of its defeat,the BDP was the longest continuous ruling party in the democratic world.
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 Democratic Change coalition;party leader Duma Boko has been president of Botswana since 2024.
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 involving the BNF's leader,Kenneth Koma.
General elections were held in Botswana on 16 October 2009,alongside local elections,with early voting in 26 polling stations abroad taking place 3 October. The result was a tenth successive victory for the Botswana Democratic Party,which won 45 of the 57 elected seats in the National Assembly.
Seretse Khama Ian Khama is a Botswana 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 Defence Force,he entered politics and was Vice-President of Botswana from 1998 to 2008,then succeeded Festus Mogae as President on 1 April 2008. He won a full term in the 2009 election and was re-elected in October 2014.
Margaret Nnananyana Nasha is a Botswana politician who served as the Speaker of the National Assembly from 2009 to 2014. She was the first woman to hold the position.
Gomolemo Thatayaone Motswaledi was a liberal Motswana politician and music composer who co-founded the Botswana Movement for Democracy in 2010. Motswaledi also co-founded Umbrella for Democratic Change and served as its first Secretary General until his death in 2014.
The Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) is a political party in Botswana,founded in 2010 by MPs and other politicians who parted ways with the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) due to differences with Ian Khama,the leader of the BDP and the President of Botswana at the time.
General and local elections were held in Botswana on 24 October 2014. 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.
The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) is a centre-left to left-wing alliance of political parties in Botswana. Since the 2024 Botswana general election,the UDC has been the governing alliance of political parties.
Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi 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 a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly for the Moshupa-Manyana constituency from 2009 to 2018.
Duma Gideon Boko is a Botswana politician and lawyer 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 the leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly from 2014 to 2019.
General elections were held in Botswana on 23 October 2019 to elect MPs and local government councillors. Despite a high profile split in the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in May 2019 when former President Ian Khama left the party and switched his support to the new Botswana Patriotic Front,the BDP's vote share increased to almost 53% as the party won 38 of the 57 elected seats in the National Assembly,a gain of one compared to the 2014 elections. The elections were the twelfth and the last straight victory for the BDP.
The Alliance for Progressives is a social-liberal political party in Botswana.
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 Mokgweetsi Masisi.
General elections were held in Botswana 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 as well as 609 local council seats,all elected through the first-past-the-post voting system.
Gaborone Bonnington South is a constituency in Gaborone City represented in the National Assembly of Botswana. With 13 km2,Gaborone Bonnington South is the smallest constituency of Botswana.
Gaborone Bonnington North is a constituency in Gaborone City represented in the National Assembly of Botswana. With an area of 23 km2,Gaborone Bonnington North is the second smallest constituency of Botswana after Gaborone Bonnington South.
