Constitution of Botswana

Status: Republic with executive President

Legislature: Parliament of Botswana

Independence: 30 September 1966

Under the 1965 constitution, Botswana is a republic with an executive president chosen by the National Assembly for the concurrent five-year term. After the 2004 general election, the Assembly had 57 members directly elected by universal adult suffrage plus the president, speaker, attorney-general and four members nominated by the president. The 35-member Ntlo ya Dikgosi (formerly known as the House of Chiefs) advises on tribal matters; 30 of the members are elected by senior tribal authorities and five members appointed by the president.

The Botswana Democratic Party has ruled that the party leadership is only to be held by any one person for two full terms.

Substantive constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority of the Assembly and major amendments, a national referendum. Constitutional amendments approved in April 1997 retained the system by which the president is elected by parliament but allowed the vice-president automatically to succeed in the event of the president’s death or resignation during his term of office. It also reduced the voting age from 21 to 18.

Local elections for the nine district councils, two city councils and four town councils are held – also on a party basis – simultaneously with general elections.