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| Politics |
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| Botswana is a democracy that holds elections
every 5 years with a bicameral parliament of 63 members, 57 members
are elected by direct popular vote in single-member constituencies
using the first-past-the-post (simple majority) system. There are
4 members appointed by the majority party subject to approval by parliament
of elected members, and 2 (the President and Attorney-General) are
ex-officio members; members serve 5-year terms. Since Independence
on the 30th September 1966 Botswana has had three Presidents. The
First President of Botswana was Sir Seretse Khama, who was succeeded
by Sir Ketumile Masire upon his passing away in 1980. Sir Ketumile
Masire stepped down in March 1998 on retirement, paving way for His
Excellency Mr. Festus Gontebanye Mogae (current President). Botswana
constitution limits a Presidential term to 2 terms. |
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| Botswana’s officially registered
political parties are as follows: Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM),
Botswana Congress Party (BCP), Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Botswana
Independence Party (BIP), Botswana Liberal Party (BLP), Botswana National
Front (BNF), - Botswana People’s Party (BPP), Botswana Progressive
Union (BPU), Independence Freedom Party (IFP), MELS [Marx, Engels,
Lenin, Stalin] Movement of Botswana, New Democratic Front (NDF). All
political parties have the freedom of expression as enshrined in the
constitution of Botswana. The last General elections were held in
2004 with the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) winning the elections.
The next elections will be held in 2009. |
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