National Assembly of Botswana

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Botswana

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The National Assembly of Botswana is the lower chamber of the country's bicameral Parliament.

The current National Assembly, formed following elections held on 30 October 2004, 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 while the remaining two (the President and Attorney-general) are ex-officio.

[edit] Current composition

Main article: Botswana general election, 2004
[discuss] – [edit]
Summary of the 30 October 2004 National Assembly of Botswana election results
Parties Votes % Seats
Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) 213,308 51.73 44
Botswana National Front (BNF) 107,451 26.06 12
Botswana Congress Party (BCP) 68,556 16.62 1
Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM) 11,716 2.84
Botswana People's Party (BPP) 7,886 1.91
New Democratic Front (NDF) 3,237 0.78
MELS Movement of Botswana (MELS) 121 0.03
Independents 104 0.03
Total (turnout 77.2 %) 412,379 100.0 57

Seven women (four elected and three co-opted) occupy seats in the National Assembly.

Patrick Balopi is the current Speaker of the National Assembly.

[edit] Previous National Assembly election results

Political Party Election Year
1965 1969 1974 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999
Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) 28 24 27 29 29 31 27 33
Botswana National Front (BNF) - 03 02 02 04 03 13 06
Botswana People's Party (BPP) 03 03 02 01 01 - - -
Botswana Independence Party (BIP) - 01 01 - - - - -
Botswana Congress Party (BCP) - - - - - - 01 01
Total 31 31 32 32 34 34 40 40

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.

[edit] See also