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1989 Botswana general election

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Field	Value
country	Botswana
type	Legislative
previous_election	1984 Botswana general election
previous_year	1984
outgoing_members	5th Parliament of Botswana
election_date	7 October 1989
next_election	1994 Botswana general election
next_year	1994
elected_members	6th Parliament of Botswana
seats_for_election	34 of the 38 seats in the National Assembly
majority_seats	18
registered	367,069
turnout	68.24% (of registered voters) (9.34pp)
47.90% (of eligible population) (6.28pp)
image1	File:Masire 1980 (cropped).jpg
leader1	Quett Masire
party1	Botswana Democratic Party
last_election1	68.00%, 29 seats
leaders_seat1	None
seats1	31
seat_change1	2
popular_vote1	162,277
percentage1	64.78%
swing1	3.22pp
image2	Kenneth Koma.jpg
leader2	Kenneth Koma
party2	Botswana National Front
leaders_seat2	Gaborone South
last_election2	20.44%, 4 seats
seats2	3
seat_change2	1
popular_vote2	67,513
percentage2	26.95%
swing2	6.51pp
title	President
before_election	Quett Masire
before_party	Botswana Democratic Party
after_election	Quett Masire
after_party	Botswana Democratic Party
map_image	1989 Botswana National Assembly election - Results by constituency.svg
map_caption	Results by constituency

47.90% (of eligible population) (6.28pp)

General elections were held in Botswana on 7 October 1989, alongside local elections. The result was the sixth straight landslide victory for the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which won 31 of the 34 elected seats.

As of the 2019 general elections, this is the last time the BDP received more than the 60% of the popular vote.

Background

A referendum on electoral reform had been held in 1987, and resulted in the creation of a Supervisor of Elections, which would be appointed by the government. Both the BDP and the Botswana National Front (BNF) hold primary elections to select candidates.

Campaign

The BNF went into the elections suffering from instability; Bathoen Gaseitsiwe resigned as party leader in 1985 after becoming head of the Customary Court of Appeal. Prior to the elections Bathoen criticised new party leader Kenneth Koma for his left-wing policies, resigned from the BNF and established the Botswana Freedom Party (BFP). The new BFP ran as a nationalist and pro-free market party. The ruling BDP campaigned on its record in government around economic development and political stability.

A total of 91 candidates contested the elections, with the BDP being the only party to field a full slate of 34 candidates. The BNF put forward 31 candidates, the Botswana People's Party 11, the Botswana Independence Party 9, the Botswana Freedom Party 2 and the Botswana Progressive Union and Botswana Liberal Party both had a single candidate.

Results

The Botswana People's Party (BPP) lost its sole seat and would not regain parliamentary representation until the 2024 elections.

Aftermath

Following the elections, the BNF claimed that there had been irregularities in the Mochudi constituency, where they lost to the BDP by 29 votes. The High Court ruled in the BNF's favour, resulting in a by-election in June 1990 in which the BDP retained the seat.

Notes

References

[http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2041_89.htm Elections held in 1989] Inter-Parliamentary Union
[[Dieter Nohlen]], Michael Krennerich & Bernhard Thibaut (1999) ''Elections in Africa: A data handbook'', p113 {{ISBN. 0-19-829645-2
[https://www.eisa.org.za/wep/bot1989election.htm Botswana: The October 1989 General Election] EISA

Info: Wikipedia Source

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elections-in-botswana 1989-elections-in-africa 1989-in-botswana election-and-referendum-articles-with-incomplete-results october-1989-in-africa

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