2004 Botswana general election
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox election
| country = Botswana
| type = parliamentary
| previous_election = 1999 Botswana general election
| previous_year = 1999
| outgoing_members = 8th Parliament of Botswana
| next_election = 2009 Botswana general election
| next_year = 2009
| elected_members = 9th Parliament of Botswana
| seats_for_election = 57 of the 63 seats in the National Assembly
| election_date = 30 October 2004
| registered = 552,849
| turnout = 76.20% (of registered voters) ({{decrease}}0.91pp)
44.00% (of eligible population) ({{increase}}2.02pp){{refn|group=n|{{Cite book |url=https://www.iec.gov.bw/images/Voter_Apathy_PRINT.pdf |title=National Study On Voter Apathy in Botswana |publisher=IEC Botswana |others=University of Botswana |year=2022 |pages=17 |language=en-GB}}}}
| image_size = 130x130px
| majority_seats = 29
| image1 = Festus Mogae 2009-06-23.jpg
| leader1 = Festus Mogae
| party1 = Botswana Democratic Party
| last_election1 = 57.15%, 33 seats
| leaders_seat1 = None{{efn|Incumbent presidents are ineligible to contest National Assembly seats; instead, they serve as ex-officio members of Parliament.}}
| seats1 = 44
| seat_change1 = {{increase}} 11
| popular_vote1 = 213,308
| percentage1 = 51.73%
| swing1 = {{decrease}}5.42pp
| image2 =
| leader2 = Otsweletse Moupo
| party2 = Botswana National Front
| last_election2 = 25.95%, 6 seats
| leaders_seat2 = Selebi-Phikwe West (defeated)
| seats2 = 12
| seat_change2 = {{increase}} 6
| popular_vote2 = 107,451
| percentage2 = 26.06%
| swing2 = {{increase}}0.11pp
| image3 =
| leader3 = Otlaadisa Koosaletse
| party3 = Botswana Congress Party
| last_election3 = 11.90%, 1 seats
| leaders_seat3 = Lobatse
(defeated)
| seats3 = 1
| seat_change3 = {{steady}} 0
| popular_vote3 = 68,556
| percentage3 = 16.62%
| swing3 = {{increase}}4.72pp
| title = President
| before_election = Festus Mogae
| before_party = Botswana Democratic Party
| after_election = Festus Mogae
| after_party = Botswana Democratic Party
| map_image = 2004 Botswana National Assembly election - Results by constituency.svg
| map_caption = Results by constituency
| map_size = 400px
}}{{Politics of Botswana}}
General elections were held in Botswana on 30 October 2004, alongside local elections. The result was a ninth consecutive 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.
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. 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 focused on unemployment and poverty. 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.
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.[http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2041_04.htm Elections held in 2004] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611211628/http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2041_04.htm |date=2011-06-11 }} IPU
Results
{{Election results
|party1=Botswana Democratic Party|votes1=213308|seats1=44|sc1=+11
|party2=Botswana National Front|votes2=107451|seats2=12|sc2=+6
|party3=Botswana Congress Party|votes3=68556|seats3=1|sc3=0
|party4=Botswana Alliance Movement|votes4=11716|seats4=0|sc4=0
|party5=Botswana People's Party|votes5=7886|seats5=0|sc5=New
|party6=New Democratic Front|votes6=3237|seats6=0|sc6=New|color6=purple
|party7=MELS Movement of Botswana|votes7=121|seats7=0|sc7=0
|party8=Independents|votes8=104|seats8=0|sc8=0
|row9=Indirectly-elected seats|seats9=6|sc9=+2
|invalid=8893
|total_sc=+19
|electorate=552849
|source=[http://africanelections.tripod.com/bw.html African Elections Database]
}}
Notes
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{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://africaportal.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/eub_200403.pdf Election Update 2004 Botswana] Electoral Institute For Sustainable Democracy In Africa
{{Botswana elections}}