National Assembly (Botswana)
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National Assembly (Botswana)
National Assembly Palamente ya Botswana | |
|---|---|
| 11th Parliament | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | Unicameral |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
| Founded | 1966 |
| Disbanded | 28 August 2019 |
| Leadership | |
Speaker | Gladys Kokorwe, BDP |
Deputy Speaker | Kagiso Molatlhegi, BDP |
Leader of the Opposition | Duma Boko, UDC |
Government Whip | Liakat Kablay, BDP |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 57 |
Political groups | Government (43)
|
Length of term | 5 years |
| Elections | |
Voting system | First-past-the-post |
Last election | 24 October 2014 |
Next election | 23 October 2019 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| National Assembly Chamber Gaborone Republic of Botswana | |
| Footnotes | |
| The National Assembly of Botswana was dissolved on the 28th of August 2019 for the 2019 Botswana general election. | |
The National Assembly is the legislative body within Botswana's unicameral Parliament. It is advised by the Ntlo ya Dikgosi (Tswana for "House of Chiefs"), which is not a house of Parliament.
The current National Assembly, formed following elections held on 16 October 2009, has a total of 63 members. 57 members are directly elected in single member constituencies using the simple-majority (or First-past-the-post) system for a term of five years. Four members are co-opted (by secret ballot of the rest of the Assembly) while the remaining two (the President and Attorney-general) are ex officio.
National Assembly Palamente ya Botswana | |
|---|---|
| 11th Parliament | |
| |
| Type | |
| Type | Unicameral |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
| Founded | 1966 |
| Disbanded | 28 August 2019 |
| Leadership | |
Speaker | Gladys Kokorwe, BDP |
Deputy Speaker | Kagiso Molatlhegi, BDP |
Leader of the Opposition | Duma Boko, UDC |
Government Whip | Liakat Kablay, BDP |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 57 |
Political groups | Government (43)
|
Length of term | 5 years |
| Elections | |
Voting system | First-past-the-post |
Last election | 24 October 2014 |
Next election | 23 October 2019 |
| Meeting place | |
| |
| National Assembly Chamber Gaborone Republic of Botswana | |
| Footnotes | |
| The National Assembly of Botswana was dissolved on the 28th of August 2019 for the 2019 Botswana general election. | |
Current composition
| Party | Seats | |
|---|---|---|
| Botswana Democratic Party | 37 | |
| Specially elected MPs | 4 | |
| President of Botswana | 1 | |
| Attorney General | 1 | |
| Umbrella for Democratic Change | 13 | |
| Alliance for Progressives | 6 | |
| Botswana Patriotic Front | 1 | |
| Total | 63 | |
Previous National Assembly election results
| Political Party | Election Year | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 1969 | 1974 | 1979 | 1984 | 1989 | 1994 | 1999 | 2004 | 2009 | 2014 | |
| Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) | 28 | 24 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 27 | 33 | 44 | 45 | 37 |
| Botswana National Front (BNF) | – | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 17 |
| Botswana People's Party (BPP) | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Botswana Independence Party (BIP) | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Botswana Congress Party (BCP) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| Independents | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| Total | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 34 | 40 | 40 | 57 | 57 | 57 |
Note: In the pre-independence 1965 election, the Botswana Democratic Party was known as the Bechuanaland Democratic party and the Botswana People's Party was known as the Bechuanaland People's Party.
Despite being a one party dominant state since independence, all elections held in the country have been considered democratic, free, and fair.
See also
1st Parliament of Botswana
Ntlo ya Dikgosi
History of Botswana
Legislative Branch
List of Speakers of the National Assembly of Botswana