Botswana: Parties that contested the 2004 elections

Updated October 2006

Parties ordered by the number of votes obtained in the last (2004) National Assembly elections.

Party Leaders Founded
Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)
Formerly: Bechuanaland Democratic Party
Festus Gontebanye Mokae
Sir Ketumile Joni Masire
Sir Seretse Khama (d 1980)
1961/2
Botswana National Front (BNF) Otsweletse Moupo
Bathoen Gaseitsiwe
Dr Kenneth Koma
10 October 1966
Botswana Congress Party (BCP) Gilson Saleshando
Otlaadisa Koosaletsi
Michael Dingake
June 1998
Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM) Ephraim Lepetu Setshwaelo 1999
Botswana Peoples Party (BPP)
Formerly: Bechuanaland Peoples Party - Matante
Bernard Balikani
Knight Maripe
Phillip Matante
1963
New Democratic Front (NDF) Dick Bayford 2003
MELS Movement of Botswana (MELS) Themba Joina 1993
Social Democratic Party (SDP) O Marumo 1994

Sources

INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION 2004, Report to the Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration on the 2004 General Elections, [www] http://www.gov.bw/elections04/iecreport.pdf (document off-line 22 Oct 2007).

INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION 2004, "Political Parties/Independent(s)" IN Elections 2004, [www] http://www.gov.bw/elections04/index.html (page off-line 22 Oct 2007).

LODGE, L, KADIMA, D & POTTIE, D 2002 (eds), Compendium of Elections in Southern Africa, EISA, 35-49.

MOLOMO M, & MOLEFE, W, "Voters and Electoral Performance of Political Parties in Botswana" IN Maundeni, Z (ed) 40 Years of Democracy in Botswana: 1965-2005, 94-121, [www] http://botswana.fes-international.de/Downloads/40YearsOfDemocracy.pdf [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 22 Oct 2007).

MAUNDENI, Z 2005, "Succession to High Office: Tswana Culture and Modern Botswana Politics" IN Maundeni, Z (ed) 40 Years of Democracy in Botswana: 1965-2005, 80-93, [www] http://botswana.fes-international.de/Downloads/40YearsOfDemocracy.pdf [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 22 Oct 2007).

SELOLWANE, OA 2002 "Monopoly Politikos: How Botswana's Opposition Parties Have Helped Sustain One-Party Dominance", African Sociological Review, 6(1), [www] http://www.codesria.org/Links/Publications/asr6_1full/selolwane.pdf [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 22 Oct 2007).

SOMOLEKAE, G 2005, Political Parties in Botswana [PDF document], EISA Research Report No 27.