Botswana - October 2024
Ruling party defeated in general election, after 58 years in power
On 30 October, Botswana held general elections for the unicameral National Assembly and local councils. An opposition coalition, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), emerged as winners of the national contest, securing a majority of the vote (59.0 per cent) and 36 of the 61 elected National Assembly seats. They were followed by the Botswana Congress Party (15 seats; 24.6 per cent), the Botswana Patriotic Front (5 seats; 8.1 per cent) and the incumbent Botswana Democratic Party (4 seats; 6.6 per cent), which has ruled the country since independence in 1966. Of the 264 parliamentary candidates, 28 (10.6 per cent) were women; three won seats and three women were appointed by Botswana’s newly elected president, Duma Boko, under a special dispensation, taking the total number of female representatives to 6 (10 per cent) - down from 7 (11.5 per cent) in 2019. International observers assessed the elections to have been peaceful and orderly, but raised several concerns, including inadequate civic education, the under-representation of women among candidates, and various logistical issues.
Sources: Daily News Botswana, Daily Maverick, Voice of America, Gender Links, The Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC Countries, Southern African Development Community
