IFES Election Guide - Country Profile: Botswana

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Presidential
October 2014
Parliamentary
2014

Botswana
Republic of Bostwana
Region: Africa

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA
Head of Government: President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA
Assembly: Botswana has a bicameral Parliament consisting of the House of Chiefs (Ntlo ya Dikgosi) with 15 seats and the National Assembly with 63 seats.

Description of electoral system:

The President is indirectly elected by the National Assembly to serve a 5-year term.
In the House of Chiefs (Ntlo ya Dikgosi), 8 members are ex officio , 4 members are elected in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms and 3 members are elected in multi-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms*. In the National Assembly, 57 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms, 4 members are appointed by members to serve 5-year terms and 2 members are ex officio .**

* The House of Chiefs consists of the chiefs of the eight principal tribes, four sub-chiefs chosen each from a single-member constituency by the eight chiefs, and three members elected at-large from one district by the other twelve members.

** Four members are appointed by the majority party. The President and Attorney General are members ex officio.