Electoral Process in Botswana: A Synopsis

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of Botswana's electoral process. It outlines the functional demands of elections, identifies the contentious issues in the electoral process, and where appropriate, suggests the way forward. Botswana's electoral system has yielded unsatisfactory results which have tended to distort the support of political parties on the ground.’ To this extent, the article discusses, albeit briefly, the political consequences of the first past the post electoral systems and other electoral systems. Botswana is a multi-party state with nine duly registered parties. The two leading political parties are the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and the Botswana National Front. The administration of elections is the responsibility of the Independent Electoral Commission.