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2024 Botswana general election
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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.
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The centre-right Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which had dominated the country's politics since independence in 1966, was decisively beaten by the centre-left opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). Large voter swings toward opposition parties led to the BDP falling to fourth place.[3][4][5]
The UDC took first place with 36 seats, a majority of five. This ensured Duma Boko, leader of both the UDC and its largest component, the Botswana National Front (BNF), would be elected as President of Botswana. The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) took second place, becoming the official opposition.[6] The Botswana Patriotic Front (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 conceded defeat on the morning of 1 November 2024 and ensured a peaceful transfer of power.[7] 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.[8]
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Background
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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 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) saw large swings to the opposition due to former President Ian Khama's backing of the newly-formed Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) and of UDC candidates, where the BPF did not stand candidates of its own.[9] 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.[10][11] 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.[10]
While international observers deemed the elections "free and fair",[12] Duma Boko contested the BDP's victory, alleging significant electoral irregularities.[11][13] 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.[14]
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 (UDC), the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) and the Alliance for Progressives (AP). In August 2022, the BPF joined the UDC alliance, uniting all opposition parties in the National Assembly except for the AP.[15]
The Botswana Congress Party (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.[16] Saleshando ceased to be the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, after a group of UDC MPs joined by five BCP dissidents, voted him out of the position in July 2022.[17]
The BCP proposed forming an electoral alliance with the AP and the newly-formed, Botswana Labour Party (a minor Botswana National Front splinter party).[18] 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.[19][20]
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.[21]
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.[22]
The election campaign also saw the return of former president Ian Khama, a critic of incumbent president Mokgweetsi Masisi, after three years of self-imposed exile in September 2024.[23] Khama supported the BPF in the election.[24]
Composition of parliament
The 12th Parliament was inaugurated on 5 November 2019. Dumelang Saleshando had replaced Duma Boko as Leader of the Opposition 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's expulsion from parliament after he fled to South Africa 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, expected by August.[25][26]
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Electoral system
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For the 2024 elections, the membership of the National Assembly consists of 61 MPs elected in single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post voting, six members appointed by the governing party and two ex-officio members (the President and the Speaker).[27]
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.[28] 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.[28] 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 (House of Chiefs) cannot stand for election to the National Assembly.[28]
The president is indirectly elected for a five-year term by the National Assembly. Since 1997, presidents are limited to a maximum of ten years in office, whether consecutive or not.[29] The president's survival is dependent on whether their government has the support of a simple majority of the National Assembly MPs. He can be removed by a motion of no confidence, prompting their resignation or if not, the dissolution of parliament 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 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, 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.[30] 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 on 10 February 2023.[31]
New seats
Eliminated seat
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Election date and timeline
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Unless a snap election is called, a general election is held every five years. The previous election was held on 23 October 2019. The president must issue writs for an election within sixty days of the expiration or dissolution of parliament. Under section 91 (3) of the constitution, parliament, "...unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for five years from the date of the first sitting of the National Assembly after any dissolution and shall then stand dissolved".[32] 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.[33][34] Thus, on the 3rd of September 2024, President Mokgweetsi Masisi announced that the writs for the 2024 election will be returned on 5 September 2024 and parliament will stand dissolved on the same day;[35] 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 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:[35][36]
Timetable
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Voter registration
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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. 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.[37]
The Independent Electoral Commission (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.[38] 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 Kgotlas. This phase yielded an additional 197,021 registered electors.[39][40]
Observation controversy
In the lead-up to the general voter registration, the UDC established the Madibelatlhopho (lit. 'Protectors of the vote'), 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.[41][42]
On 7 November, Justice Gaolapelwe Ketlogetswe of the Francistown 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.[43]
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, Dithapelo Keorapetse, expressed disappointment with the judgment, viewing it as "a setback for democracy".[44]
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Parties and candidates
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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
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Duma Boko embraced as he arrives for nomination
Cheerful BDP supporters outside the High Court
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.[46] The venue for this process was at the High Court headquarters in Gaborone. 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.
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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 ($112) to 4,000 pula ($300).[52]
Opinion polls
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Results
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The election resulted in a historic defeat for the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which lost the uninterrupted majority it had held since independence following the 1965 general election. Significant swings toward the Umbrella for Democratic Change in the southern and central regions, alongside losses to the Botswana Congress Party in the north, saw the BDP reduced to a rump of four seats, making it the smallest of four factions in the National Assembly.[53] 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.
| ↓ | |||||||||
| 36 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 1 | |||||
| UDC | BCP | BPF | BDP | Ind. | |||||
The table below presents the proportionality of parliamentary seats won in the 2024 election, as measured by the Gallagher index. 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.[56]
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Aftermath
BDP leader and President Mokgweetsi Masisi conceded defeat to the UDC and Duma Boko on 1 November 2024.[57][58] 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".[59] Boko was inaugurated as president on 1 November.[60]
Notes
- Eight of the seats in the 69-member legislature are not directly elected by the voters. Out of these eight seats, six are 'specially-elected' members appointed by the president and approved by the National Assembly. The remaining two seats are occupied by the Speaker and the President as ex-officio members.
- Following the prohibition of floor crossings in 2021, the UDC officially had 14 MPs at the dissolution of parliament. Seven of these were BCP MPs who had left the UDC alliance ahead of the 2024 election.[1] The seat figure presented here reflects the actual number of UDC MPs at the time of dissolution, including Yandani Boko (former MP for Mahalapye East), whose vacant seat did not trigger a by-election.
- Incumbent presidents are ineligible to contest National Assembly seats; instead, they serve as ex-officio members of Parliament.
- Dumezweni Mthimkhulu, former MP for Gaborone South, died three days before the dissolution of parliament, so a by-election for the seat was never held.[2] The seat figure presented here includes Mthimkhulu.
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References
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