Botswana: Botswana Government Profile

President: Seretse Khama Ian Khama

Seretse Khama Ian Khama - the son of Sir Seretse Khama, Botswana's initial post-independence leader - took over as president in April 2008.

He was the chosen successor of Festus Mogae, who stepped down at the end of his second term, next a decade at the helm.

He secured a new five-year term in October 2009 next his governing Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) party swept to victory in a parliamentary election.

To select a president, the winning party needs to win 29 of the 57 parliamentary seats. And in the 2009 polls the BDP - in power since independence in 1966 - won 45 of the 57 constituencies. The major opposition party, the Botswana National Front, won 6 constituencies and its splinter party the Botswana Congress Party captured 4.

Ian Khama, graduate of Sandhurst officer training college in Britain, was commander of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) before becoming vice president in 1998.

He became chairman of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in 2003.

Critics describe him as authoritarian while supporters say he is decisive and efficient.

His no-nonsense approach has made him popular abroad as he has broken ranks with regional leaders' timid approach to join international criticism of democratic abuses by Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe.

A call for the president to be elected due by the people was rejected by parliament in 2008. Some critics have warned that the country was becoming a dynasty and that democracy was under threat.

Parliamentary republic.

Botswana is very stable politically. According to the African Economic Outlook political indicators (see Statistical Annex), Botswana was one of the African nations where no events indicating civil unrest (strikes, demonstrations, violence and coups d’état) or hardening of the political regime (incarceration of opponents, measures threatening democracy such as dissolution of political parties, violence perpetrated by the police and the banning of demonstrations or public debate) occurred in 2009. The country has an Independent Electoral Commission whose mission is “to facilitate the formation of democratically elected governments by delivering transparent, free and equitable elections in accordance with the established legal framework in Botswana and internationally accepted principles and standards.” Although elections are free and equitable, opposition parties have at no time managed to mount a critical challenge to the ruling party, and Botswana has been governed by the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) since the initial democratic elections in 1965.

In the October 2009 general elections, the BDP won 45 of the 57 parliamentary seats, while Botswana National Front obtained only six seats, down from 12 in the 2004 elections. Botswana Congress Party won four seats, up from one seat in 2004. Botswana Alliance Movement obtained only one seat, and an independent candidate was as well elected. As the leader of the party with a majority of seats in parliament becomes the president of the country, President Ian Khama retained his office.

The president exercised his constitutional right to nominate four “specially elected” members, two of whom were women, so that the new assembly has 61 members in all. Only four of them are women, indicating that women are still very poorly represented in politics and that Botswana is far from being on track to meet its MDG3 target of increasing women’s participation in leadership, governance and decision making by at least 60% by 2016.