Botswana general election, 1989

Botswana

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General elections were held in Botswana on 7 October 1989, alongside local elections.^[1] The result was the sixth straight landslide victory for the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which won 31 of the 34 elected seats.^[2]

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.^[3]

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.^[3] The ruling BDP campaigned on its record in government around economic development and political stability.^[1]

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.^[3]

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Botswana Democratic Party	162,277	64.78	31	+2
Botswana National Front	67,513	26.95	3	–1
Botswana People's Party	10,891	4.34	0	–1
Botswana Independence Party	6,209	2.48	0	0
Botswana Progressive Union	2,186	0.87	0	0
Botswana Freedom Party	1,363	0.54	0	New
Botswana Liberal Party	48	0.02	0	New
Indirectly elected members	–	–	4	–
Total	250,487	100	38	0
Registered voters/turnout	367,069	68.24	–	–
Source: Inter-parliamentary Union, Nohlen et al.

Aftermath

Following the elections, the BNF claimed that there had been irregularties 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.^[3]

References

1 2 Elections held in 1989 Inter-Parliamentary Union
↑ Nohlen, D, Krennerich, M & Thibaut, B (1999) Elections in Africa: A data handbook, p113 ISBN 0-19-829645-2
1 2 3 4 Botswana: The October 1989 General Election EISA

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

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