National Assembly of Botswana

The National Assembly of Botswana

*Khudutlhamaga ya Botswana*
The National Assembly of Botswana ; Khudutlhamaga ya Botswana
12th Parliament
Type
Type	Unicameral legislature of the Parliament of Botswana
Term limits	None
History
Founded	1966
New session started	November 5, 2019
Leadership
Speaker	Phandu Skelemani, ex-officio
Deputy Speaker	Pono Moatlhodi, BDP
President of Botswana	Mokgweetsi Masisi, ex-officio
Leader of the House	Slumber Tsogwane, BDP
Government Whip	Liakat Kablay, BDP
Leader of the Opposition	Dithapelo Keorapetse, UDC
Opposition whip	Motsamai Motsamai, UDC
Structure
Seats	65
Political groups	Government (45) Botswana Democratic Party (38); Specially-elected (5); Ex-officio (2); Official opposition (7) Umbrella for Democratic Change (7); Other opposition (12) Botswana Congress Party (7); Botswana Patriotic Front (4); Specially-elected independent (1); Vacant (1) Vacant (1);
Length of term	5 years
Elections
Voting system	First-past-the-post
First election	1 March 1965
Last election	23 October 2019
Next election	By October 2024
Meeting place
	National Assembly Chamber; Gaborone; South-East District
Website
	www.parliament.gov.bw

The National Assembly is the sole legislative body of Botswana's unicameral Parliament, of which consists of the President and the National Assembly.^[12] The House passes laws, provides ministers to form Cabinet, and supervises the work of government. It is also responsible for adopting the country's budgets. It is advised by the Ntlo ya Dikgosi, a council of tribal chiefs which is not a house of Parliament.^[13]

Though there were legislative predecessors to the National Assembly during colonial rule, it was not until independence in 1966 that the National Assembly of Botswana officially formed.^[14]^[15] Since then, there have been consistent multi-party elections and 5 peaceful presidential transitions.^[16]^[15]

Currently, there are 65 total members of the National Assembly.^[17] Voters in single member constituencies directly elect 57 of these members for a term of 5 years through a plurality (or first-past-the-post) system. Six members, meanwhile, are nominated by the President and elected by the assembly. Finally, the remaining two (the President and Speaker of the National Assembly) are ex officio.^[18]^[19]

Despite the presence of consistent elections, the National Assembly has not escaped criticism. In every election since the founding elections in 1965, the Botswana Democratic Party has won a majority of seats in the legislative body. As a result, an inter-party power transition has not occurred.^[20]^[21] Additionally, political science scholars have sometimes expressed concern about the National Assembly because of its few women MPs and its interconnectedness with the executive.^[22]^[23]

^ "The Speaker". parliament.gov.bw. Parliament of Botswana. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
^ Mompati Tlhankane (6 July 2021). "Moatlhodi takes over as Deputy Speaker". mmegi.bw. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
^ "Leader of the House". parliament.gov.bw. Parliament of Botswana. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Party Whips". parliament.gov.bw. Parliament of Botswana. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
^ "KEORAPETSE NEW LOO". dailynews.gov.bw. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
^ "Masisi's SEMPs A Tough Assignment". Mmegi. The Monitor. 4 November 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
^ "FAQs". parliament.gov.bw. Parliament of Botswana. Retrieved 22 July 2021. 2 are Ex-officios being the President and The Speaker
^ Tlhankane, Mompati (1 August 2022). "The determined, unyielding Keorapetse". Mmegi. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
^ Tlhankane, Mompati (5 June 2023). "UDC accused of destabilising BCP". Mmegi. Retrieved 6 June 2023. The BCP is currently stuck in the coalition because it cannot afford to trigger by-elections because of a new piece of legislation that prohibits Parliament floor crossing.
^ Selatlhwa, Innocent (22 May 2023). "Dow: Democracy under threat". Mmegi Online. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
^ "DOW JOINS BOTSWANA CONGRESS PARTY". DailyNews. 22 May 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
^ Botlhale, Emmanuel; Lotshwao, Kebapetse (2013). "The Uneasy Relationship Between Parliament and the Executive in Botswana". Botswana Notes and Records. 45: 39–51. JSTOR 90024373.
^ Norton, Philip (21 December 2004). "How many bicameral legislatures are there?". The Journal of Legislative Studies. 10 (4): 1–9. doi:10.1080/1357233042000322436. S2CID 143950774.
^ Lewis, Stephen R. Jr. "Explaining Botswana's Success: The Importance of Culture - Carleton College". www.carleton.edu. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
^ ^a ^b Tesfahun, Amsalu Tebeje (2015). "The Endurance and Decline of Single Party Dominance in African States: A Case Study of Botswana and Senegal". Ethiopian Journal of the Social Sciences and Humanities. 11 (1): 1–28.
^ "Botswana: African miracle or African mirage?". africasacountry.com. 4 March 2018. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
^ "Botswana's ruling party BDP wins general election: Chief justice". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
^ "Botswana 1966 (rev. 2016) Constitution - Constitute". www.constituteproject.org. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
^ "Office-Bearers & Members". www.parliament.gov.bw. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
^ Poteete, Amy R. (2012). "Electoral competition, factionalism, and persistent party dominance in Botswana". The Journal of Modern African Studies. 50 (1): 75–102. doi:10.1017/S0022278X11000619. JSTOR 41474960. S2CID 154672233.
^ "Botswana: législatives sur fond de crise économique – Jeune Afrique". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2022-03-14.
^ Bauer, Gretchen (2010). "'Cows Will Lead the Herd into a Precipice': Where Are the Women MPs in Botswana?". Botswana Notes and Records. 42: 56–70. JSTOR 23237971.
^ Sebudubudu, David; Maripe, Bugalo; Botlhomilwe, Mokganedi Z.; Malila, Ikanyeng S. (2013). "The Mutation of Parliament into a 'Registration Chamber': Executive Dominance over the Legislature in Botswana". The African Review: A Journal of African Politics, Development and International Affairs. 40 (2): 33–59. JSTOR 45341655.

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

[1] "The Speaker". parliament.gov.bw. Parliament of Botswana. Retrieved 22 July 2021.

[2] Mompati Tlhankane (6 July 2021). "Moatlhodi takes over as Deputy Speaker". mmegi.bw. Retrieved 22 July 2021.

[3] "Leader of the House". parliament.gov.bw. Parliament of Botswana. Retrieved 22 July 2021.

[whip-4] "Party Whips". parliament.gov.bw. Parliament of Botswana. Retrieved 22 July 2021.

[5] "KEORAPETSE NEW LOO". dailynews.gov.bw. Retrieved 2023-01-11.

[6] "Masisi's SEMPs A Tough Assignment". Mmegi. The Monitor. 4 November 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2021.

[7] "FAQs". parliament.gov.bw. Parliament of Botswana. Retrieved 22 July 2021. 2 are Ex-officios being the President and The Speaker

[8] Tlhankane, Mompati (1 August 2022). "The determined, unyielding Keorapetse". Mmegi. Retrieved 31 October 2023.

[11] Tlhankane, Mompati (5 June 2023). "UDC accused of destabilising BCP". Mmegi. Retrieved 6 June 2023. The BCP is currently stuck in the coalition because it cannot afford to trigger by-elections because of a new piece of legislation that prohibits Parliament floor crossing.

[13] Selatlhwa, Innocent (22 May 2023). "Dow: Democracy under threat". Mmegi Online. Retrieved 7 April 2024.

[14] "DOW JOINS BOTSWANA CONGRESS PARTY". DailyNews. 22 May 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2024.

[:4-16] Botlhale, Emmanuel; Lotshwao, Kebapetse (2013). "The Uneasy Relationship Between Parliament and the Executive in Botswana". Botswana Notes and Records. 45: 39–51. JSTOR 90024373.

[17] Norton, Philip (21 December 2004). "How many bicameral legislatures are there?". The Journal of Legislative Studies. 10 (4): 1–9. doi:10.1080/1357233042000322436. S2CID 143950774.

[:0-18] Lewis, Stephen R. Jr. "Explaining Botswana's Success: The Importance of Culture - Carleton College". www.carleton.edu. Retrieved 2022-03-10.

[:5-19] Tesfahun, Amsalu Tebeje (2015). "The Endurance and Decline of Single Party Dominance in African States: A Case Study of Botswana and Senegal". Ethiopian Journal of the Social Sciences and Humanities. 11 (1): 1–28.

[:7-20] "Botswana: African miracle or African mirage?". africasacountry.com. 4 March 2018. Retrieved 2022-03-10.

[:2-21] "Botswana's ruling party BDP wins general election: Chief justice". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2022-03-10.

[:1-22] "Botswana 1966 (rev. 2016) Constitution - Constitute". www.constituteproject.org. Retrieved 2022-03-10.

[23] "Office-Bearers & Members". www.parliament.gov.bw. Retrieved 2022-04-20.

[:11-24] Poteete, Amy R. (2012). "Electoral competition, factionalism, and persistent party dominance in Botswana". The Journal of Modern African Studies. 50 (1): 75–102. doi:10.1017/S0022278X11000619. JSTOR 41474960. S2CID 154672233.

[:15-25] "Botswana: législatives sur fond de crise économique – Jeune Afrique". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2022-03-14.

[:8-26] Bauer, Gretchen (2010). "'Cows Will Lead the Herd into a Precipice': Where Are the Women MPs in Botswana?". Botswana Notes and Records. 42: 56–70. JSTOR 23237971.

[:3-27] Sebudubudu, David; Maripe, Bugalo; Botlhomilwe, Mokganedi Z.; Malila, Ikanyeng S. (2013). "The Mutation of Parliament into a 'Registration Chamber': Executive Dominance over the Legislature in Botswana". The African Review: A Journal of African Politics, Development and International Affairs. 40 (2): 33–59. JSTOR 45341655.

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