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FY 1999: Botswana |
CHAPTER III. POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT The U.S. and Botswana have enjoyed excellent bilateral relations since Botswana's independence in 1966. Botswana is a multi-party, constitutional democracy. Each of its six national elections since independence has been free, fairly contested, and held on schedule. The next national elections are scheduled for November, 1999. The country's ethnic and tribal minorities freely participate in the political process. The constitution vests legislative power in the forty-four seat National Assembly, which is elected every five years. Executive power is vested in the President, who is a Member of Parliament. The current president (and former vice-president), Mr. Festus Mogae, took office on March 30, 1998 when his predecessor, Sir Ketumile Masire, retired after eighteen years in office. While there are several active political parties in Botswana, the country's politics have been dominated by the governing Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which has held power since independence. The BDP won 27 of the 40 contested National Assembly seats in the October, 1994 elections. Added to the four additional members the ruling party is authorized to appoint, the BDP held 31 seats in the Assembly. The thirteen seats won by the opposition Botswana National Front (BNF), however, represented an unprecedented challenge to the BDP and a substantial increase from its previous representation of only three seats. The BDP won 54.3 percent of the popular vote compared to the BNF's 37.3 percent. The BNF has focused more on criticizing BDP policies than on articulating its own platform. BNF strengths continue to be among urban voters and the economically marginalized, particularly youth, who respond favorably to BNF calls for increased government spending on human services. A change in the political landscape may be in the offing, however. Dissidents within the BNF formed a new party, the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) on June 20, 1988 after a year of internal squabbles and court fights over the leadership of the BNF. Eleven of thirteen MPs have crossed over to the BCP, along with many of the BNF's rank and file. Initial indications are that the BCP will retain many tenets of the BNF's social policy, while discarding much of its ideological baggage. The BCP now represents the official opposition in parliament, but it remains to be seen whether it will become an effective political organization. Voters have been drawn to the BDP for over thirty years largely because its conservative fiscal programs have contributed to Botswana's marked progress. However, some Batswana would prefer to see the government save less and spend more to spread the country's wealth more equitably. The 1999 elections will be a measure of the government's success in distributing Botswana's wealth through its programs to diversify the economy and generate jobs for all segments of society.[end of document]Note* International Copyright, United States Government, 1998 (or other year of first publication). All rights under foreign copyright laws are reserved. All portions of this publication are protected against any type or form of reproduction, communications to the public and the preparation of adaptations, arrangement and alterations outside the United States. U. S. copyright is not asserted under the U.S. Copyright Law, Title17, United States Code.