Botswana general election, 2004

Botswana general election, 2004

30 October 2004 (2004-10-30)

All 57 seats to the National Assembly   First party Second party Third party   Leader Festus Mogae Otsweletse Moupo Otlaadisa Koosaletse Party BDP BNF BCP Leader since 1 April 1998 2001 Leader's seat not running Selibe Phikwe West Lobatse Last election 33 seats, 57.15% 6 seats, 25.95% 1 seats, 11.90% Seats won 44 12 1 Seat change 11 6 0 Popular vote 213,308 107,451 68,556 Percentage 51.73% 26.06% 16.62% Swing 5.42% 0.11% 4.72%

President before election Festus Mogae BDP Elected President Festus Mogae BDP

Botswana
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General elections were held in Botswana on 30 October 2004, alongside local elections. The result was a ninth straight victory for the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which won 44 of the 57 seats in the National Assembly.

Background

The Independent Electoral Commission had a campaign to encourage voter registration, with a target of registering at 500,000 voters. Although it achieved its target, registering around 61% of the estimated 900,000 voting age population, the opposition Botswana National Front (BNF) accused it of making errors in the registration process.^[1]

Campaign

For the first time, the election campaign involved parties using billboards. However, the opposition claimed that their media access was restricted, and a study by the Media Institute of Southern Africa showed that the BDP had received over 50% of the election coverage.^[1] The BDP campaigned on promises to improve training, expand electricity and water supplies and amend laws that discriminated against women. The campaign of the opposition parties focussed on unemployment and poverty.^[1] However, although the BNF, Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM) and Botswana People's Party (BPP), entered into an electoral pact agreement in 2003, their campaigns were marked by open personal attacks between them and their leaders.

Fifty-six of the 57 constituencies were contested, with Vice President Ian Khama unopposed in the Serowe North constituency.^[1]

Conduct

For the first time, international monitors were able to observe the elections, with delegations from the Southern African Development Community, the African Union, the Commonwealth and the United Nations in attendance. There were 11,000 personnel from the Independent Electoral Commission involved in running the elections.^[1]

Results

References

Elections and referendums in Botswana
General elections	1921 1924 1927 1930 1933 1936 1939 1942 1945 1948 1951 1954 1957 1961 1965 1969 1974 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014
Local elections	1974 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009
Referendums	1987 1997 2001