List of political parties in Botswana
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Botswana was a dominant-party state with the Botswana Democratic Party in power for most of its history.[1] Opposition parties were widely considered to have little chance of gaining a parliamentary majority until the 2024 Botswana general election which saw the Umbrella for Democratic Change win a parliamentary majority.
Current parties
Parties represented in the National Assembly
| Alliance | Abbr. | Party | Abbr. | Ideology | Seats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Umbrella for Democratic Change |
UDC | Alliance for Progressives | AP | 36 / 69
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| Botswana People's Party | BPP | ||||||||
| Botswana National Front | BNF | Social democracy Christian left | |||||||
| Botswana Congress Party | BCP | 15 / 69
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| Botswana Patriotic Front | BPF | Populism | 5 / 69
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| Botswana Democratic Party | BDP | Paternalistic conservatism | 4 / 69
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Minor parties
| Party | Abbr. | Leader | Ideology | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Botswana Labour Party | BLP | Moiseraele Dibeela | |||
| Botswana Movement for Democracy | BMD | Julius Baitumetse | Right-wing populism | ||
| Botswana Republican Party | BRP | Biggie Butale | |||
| Real Alternative Party | RAP | Gaontebale Mokgosi | |||
Historical
| Alliance name | Abbr. | Ideology | Existence | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Botswana Alliance Movement | BAM | Progressivism | 1999-2010 | |
| Botswana Freedom Party | BFP | ?-1994 | ||
| Botswana Independence Party | BIP | 1962-1994 | ||
| Botswana Liberal Party | BLP | Liberalism | 1983-? | |
| Botswana Progressive Union | BPU | 1984-1991 | ||
| Botswana Workers Front | BWF | 1993-? | ||
| Independence Freedom Party | IFP | 1994 | ||
| MELS Movement of Botswana | MELS | 1994-2013 | ||
| New Democratic Front | NDF | Progressivism | 2003-2004 | |
| Social Democratic Party | SDP | Social democracy | 1999 | |
| United Action Party | UAP | 1999-? | ||
| United Socialist Party | USP PUSO |
Left-wing politics | 1994-1999 | |
Political alliances
| Alliance name | Abbr. | Ideology | Existence | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Democratic Front | UDF | founded in 1994 | ||
See also
References
Footnotes
- ^ Afrobarometer 2023, p. 1-5.
Citations
Afrobarometer (27 April 2023). Majority of Batswana are not opposed to a dominant-party system, so long as elections are free and fair (PDF) (Report). pp. 1–5. Retrieved 12 May 2024. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (2005). Parteien und Parteiensysteme in Afrika (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 19 November 2024.