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The Road to Botswana Parliament

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The Road to Botswana Parliament THE ROAD TO BOTSWANA PARLIAMENT BOTSWANA GENERAL ELECTIONS (1965-2009) Compiled by Research & Information Services Division Copyright © 2012 By Parliament of Botswana All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the author Table of Contents PREFACE 1 1. Introduction 2 2. 1965 General Elections 4 3. 1969 General Elections 5 4. 1974 General Elections 7 5. 1979 General Elections 8 6. 1984 General Elections 9 7. 1989 General Elections 11 8. 1994 General Elections 12 9. 1999 General Elections 14 10. 2004 General Elections 17 11. 2009 General Elections 19 12. Election Trends 1965 to 2009 22 13. Conclusion 22 REFERENCES 26 APPENDICES 27 APP.1: Composition of Botswana Parliament 1965 27 APP.2: Composition of Botswana Parliament 1969 29 APP.3: Composition of Botswana Parliament 1974 31 APP.4: Composition of Botswana Parliament 1979 33 APP.5: Composition of Botswana Parliament 1984 35 APP.6: Composition of Botswana Parliament 1989 37 APP.7: Composition of Botswana Parliament 1994 39 APP.8: Composition of Botswana Parliament 1999 41 APP.9: Composition of Botswana Parliament 2004 43 APP.10: Composition of Botswana Parliament 2009 46 APP.11: Supervisor of Elections 1965 to 2009 49 APP.12: Clerks of the National Assembly 1965 to 2009 49 APP.13: Abbreviations 49 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Results of the 1965 general elections 5 Table 2: Results of the 1969 general elections 6 Table 3: Results of the 1974 general elections 8 Table 4: Results of the 1979 general elections 9 Table 5: Results of the 1984 general elections 10 Table 6: Results of the 1989 general elections 12 Table 7: Results of the 1994 general elections 13 Table 8: Results of the 1999 general elections 16 Table 9: Voters registered by gender 17 Table 10: Voters registered by age group 18 Table 11: Results of the 2004 general elections 19 Table 12: Results of the 2009 general elections 21 THE ROAD TO BOTSWANA PARLIAMENT i LIST OF GRAPHS PREFACE Graph 1: Percentage registration by gender 15 The first and second editions of the Road to Botswana Parliament were published Graph 2: Percentage registration by age range 15 by Parliament of Botswana in 1996 and 2002 respectively. This third edition brings Graph 3: Registration and voter trends between together all the material from the first two editions which has been reviewed and 1965 and 2009 22 updated. While the first two editions covered the years 1965-1994 and 1965-1999, this Graph 4: Percentage of voters who voted for Botswana edition covers the period 1965 to March 2011. Democratic Party 22 The decision to compile the handbook was borne out of the need to have a Graph 5: Percentage of voters who voted for Botswana comprehensive compendium of information about past elections and some important National Front 23 developments that took place during the First Session and part of Second Session of the 10th Parliament. This source would facilitate analysis of trends in the evolution of Graph 6: Percentage of voters who voted for Botswana Parliamentary democracy in Botswana. Factors such as gender, age range of registered Peoples Party 23 and actual voters, multi partyism, political party composition, increase in number Graph 7: Percentage of voters who voted for Botswana of constituencies, system of specially elected members, impact of supplementary Independence Party 24 registration, etc., were taken into consideration when the manuscript was compiled. The importance of the aforementioned factors in strengthening governance cannot be underestimated. The handbook therefore is of utmost importance for those with a devout interest in studying parliament such as parliamentary experts and close observers of parliament alike. It details the parliamentary political party composition, system of parliamentary functionaries, etc., for making the topic “Reform of Parliament” more plausible. It would be instrumental in documenting the dynamics of parliament; evolution of the committee system, increase and complexity of national issues which is linked to length of parliamentary meetings and increase of membership and opposition politics in parliament. The support from the Independent Electoral Commission O f f i c e and other people who p r o v i d e d pieces of information and advice which made it possible for parliament to compile the handbook was immense and to that we are grateful. The staff and Interns attached to the Research and Information Services Division proved to be a really wonderful team in working cooperatively towards achieving their goal of documenting and disseminating information by publishing a comprehensive Road to Botswana Parliament. THE ROAD TO BOTSWANA PARLIAMENT ii THE ROAD TO BOTSWANA PARLIAMENT 1 1. INTRODUCTION Other political parties that have played part in the country’s politics are as follows: 1.1 EVOLUTION OF PARTY POLITICS i) The Botswana Progressive Union (BPU) led by the late Mr. Daniel Kangangwani Kwele; Modern party politics in Botswana began in 1959 with the founding of the Bechuanaland Protectorate Federal Party – (BPFP) by Mr. Leetile Disang Raditladi. ii) The Botswana Labour Party (BLP) led by Mr. Lenyeletse Koma; It later changed its name to the Bechuanaland Protectorate Liberal Party (BPLP) iii) The Botswana Freedom Party (BFP) led by Mr. Leach Tlhomelang; which was dissolved in 1962. iv) Lesedi La Botswana (LLB) Party led by the late Mrs. Eitlhopha Mosinyi; The early 1960s saw the emergence of the modern nationalist parties. In 1960, for instance, the Bechuanaland Peoples Party (BPP) was founded under the leadership of v) The United Socialist Party (PUSO) led by Mr. Nehemiah Modubule; Professor Kgalemang Tumediso Motsete – a music composer and educationist. The party’s Vice President was Mr. Phillip Goareng Matante. Mr. Motsamai Mpho was the vi) Botswana Workers Front (BWF) led by Mrs. Mothusi Akanyang; party’s Secretary General. Some of its founding members were Mr. Klaas Motshidisi vii) The Socialist Democratic Party (SDP) led by the late Mr. Mareledi Giddie; (moved to BIP at its formation) and Mr. Archelaus M. Tsoebebe (moved to BDP at its formation). Internal disputes towards the first national elections resulted in a split viii) The United Action Party (Bosele) led by Mr. Ephraim Lepetu Setshwaelo; that saw the formation of a new party, the Botswana Independence Party (BIP) led by Mr. Motsamai Mpho. During the 1965 general elections, Professor Motsete and Mr. ix) The Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin Movement of Botswana (MELS) led by Mr. Matante, each led a party bearing the same name (Botswana People’s Party). Themba Joina; and In 1962, the Bechuanaland Democratic Party (BDP) was formed under the leadership x) The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) which was led by Mr. Michael Dingake, of Sir Seretse Khama. Some of the founding members of the party were Mr. Quett but currently led by Mr. Gilson Saleshando. Ketumile Joni Masire, who was the Party’s Vice President, Mr. Tsheko Tsheko, Mr. Botswana is a multi-party democracy. Since the 1965 general elections, political Goareng Mosinyi, Mr. Moutlakgola Palgrave Kediretswe Nwako, Mr. Archelaus parties have increased from 4 to 13 in 1999. The following political parties contested M. Tsoebebe and Mr. Dabadaba Sedie. The Party became very popular among the 1999 general elections: Batswana. i) The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP); In October 1965, the Botswana National ii) The Botswana National Front (BNF); Front (BNF), formed iii) The Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM), which was an alliance between the by Dr. Kenneth Koma Independent Freedom Party (IFP), the United Action Party (Bosele) and the was launched. Some of Botswana Peoples Party (BPP) the founding members of the party were Mr. iv) The Botswana Congress Party (BCP); Daniel Kangangwani Kwele (Party President), v) The MELS Movement of Botswana (MELS) Mr. Klass Motshidisi The party that has the majority seats in Parliament forms the Government and other (defected from BIP) parties represented in Parliament become the opposition. The leader of the opposition and Mr. Serogola is from the opposition party that has the largest representation in the House. Keitseng. Towards the 1969 general elections, the Party’s leadership was taken over by Mr. Bathoen Gaseitsiwe, Chief of Bangwaketse tribe who abdicated his throne to join politics. THE ROAD TO BOTSWANA PARLIAMENT 2 THE ROAD TO BOTSWANA PARLIAMENT 3 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 2.2 POLITICAL PARTIES Elections are held every five years. Currently, Botswana has 57 constituencies The following political parties contested the 1965 general elections: altogether as a result of the Delimitation Commission of 2002. The Commission is set every 10 years to increase or decrease constituencies depending on, amongst i) The Bechuanaland Democratic Party (BDP) led by Sir Seretse Khama; other factors, population density. ii) The Bechuanaland Peoples Party (BPP) led by Mr. Philip G. Matante; The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) was established in 1997 and started iii) The Bechuanaland Peoples Party (BPP) led by Prof. Kgalemang Motsete; and conducting and supervising elections from the 1999 general elections. Prior to 1999, elections were the responsibility of the Elections Officer in the Office of iv) The Bechuanaland Independence Party (BIP) led by Mr. Motsamai Mpho. the President. The office was headed by the Supervisor of Elections except during the first general elections (1965) when it was headed by Chief Electoral Officer. There was only one independent candidate during
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