In permanent opposition: Botswana's other political parties

Abstract

Political opposition parties are considered crucial to the nurturing, enhancing and consolidating of democracy in every political system. Indeed, their existence is proof of political tolerance, competitive party elections, the provision of choices to the voting public and the possibility of alternation in power. However, the political opposition on the African continent is generally weak, and particularly so in Botswana, resulting in the predominance of the ruling party in political affairs. This article analyses the weaknesses of Botswana's opposition parties by tracing their historical evolution, characteristics, electoral base, and performance against the background of the political and electoral system in Botswana and the strength of the ruling party itself. It concludes that future prospects for the opposition to make greater inroads into the Botswana Democratic Party's support are small because of the fragmented nature of the opposition itself and the relative satisfaction of citizens with the current government's performance.

Keywords:

• Southern Africa
• Botswana
• opposition parties
• ruling party
• democracy
• electoral system
• electoral performance
• fragmentation

Notes

1. Sachikonye L, ‘The functioning and funding of political parties (in the SADC region)’, paper presented at the international IDEA-SACD conference: Towards Sustainable Democratic Institutions in Southern Africa, n.d., p. 1, <http://www.idea.int/ideas_work/22_s_africa/parties_1_sade.htm>.

2. Cited in Bratton M, ‘Second elections in Africa’, Journal of Democracy, 9, 3, 1998, p. 51.

3. Blondel J, ‘Political opposition in the contemporary world’, Government and Opposition, 32, 4, 1997.

4. Osei-Hwedie BZ, ‘The political opposition in Botswana: the politics of factionalism and fragmentation’, Transformation, 45, 2001, p. 58.

5. Interviews with opposition party officials, Gaborone, April, May and June 2006.

6. Interviews with opposition party officials, Gaborone, April, May and June 2006.

7. Osei-Hwedie BZ & D Sebudubudu, Strengthening Parliamentary Democracy in SADC Countries: Botswana Country Report. Johannesburg: SAIIA, 2004.

8. Blondel J, op. cit., p. 465.

9. Stepan A, ‘Democratic opposition and democratization theory’, Government and Opposition, 32, 4, 1997, pp. 659.

10. Interview with civil society official, Gaborone, June 2006.

11. Interview with civil society official, Gaborone, June 2006.

12. Interview with civil society official, Gaborone, June 2006.

13. Interview with civil society official, Gaborone, June 2006.

14. Ramsay J & N Parsons, ‘The emergence of political parties in Botswana’, in Edge W & M Lekorwe (eds), Botswana: Politics and Society. Pretoria: Van Schaik, 1998.

15. Dorenspleet R, ‘Political parties, party systems and democracy in sub-Saharan Africa’, in Salih MA (ed.), African Political Parties. London: Pluto Press, 2003, p. 171; Szajkowski B (ed.), Political Parties of the World, 6th ed. London: John Harper, 2005, p. 81.

16. Szajkowski B, op. cit.

17. The BIP was formed in 1964 by Mpho, as a splinter of the BPP. The Botswana National Front (BNF) was formed in 1966, shortly after independence with an alternative ideology (leftist until the emergence of neoliberalism) to that of the ruling party. The BNF has remained the foremost opposition party, surpassing the BPP, and it is commonly known as a coalescence of different group members. The Botswana Progressive Union (BPU) was formed in 1982 by Daniel Kwele as a splinter from the BDP. The basic difference is the BDP's preference for market forces to BCP's stress on co-operatives, and the BNF's and BCP's partnership with workers and co-operatives as drivers of economic growth and development. This is one of the reasons why the opposition is seen as radical and the ruling party as liberal.

18. Afrobarometer, ‘Popular attitudes towards democracy in Botswana: a summary of Afrobarometer indicators, 1999–2008’, Afrobarometer, 5 August 2009, p. 9.

19. Holm J, ‘Development, democracy and civil society in Botswana’, in Leftwich A (ed.), Democracy and Development: Theory and Practice. Cambridge: Polity Press, 1996, p. 105.

20. Osei-Hwedie BZ, op. cit.

21. Sebudubudu D & BZ Osei-Hwedie, ‘Pitfalls of parliamentary democracy in Botswana’, Afrika Spectrum, 41, 1, 2006.

22. Molomo M, ‘In search of an alternative electoral system for Botswana’, Pula: Botswana Journal of African Studies, 14, 1, 2000, p. 6.

23. Dorenspleet R, op. cit., p. 176.

24. Helms L, ‘Five ways of institutionalizing political opposition: lessons from the advanced democracies’, Government and Opposition, 3,1, 2004, p. 22.

25. Interview with opposition party official, Gaborone, June 2006.

26. Elklit J & L Reynolds, ‘The impact of election administration on the legitimacy of emerging democracies: a new comparative politics research agenda’, Commonwealth and Comparative Politics, 40, 2, 2002, p. 86.

27. Molomo M, ‘Electoral systems and democracy in Botswana’, in Maundeni Z (ed.), 40 Years of Democracy in Botswana 1965–2005. Gaborone: Mmegi, 2005.

28. Jackson J & D Jackson, A Comparative Introduction to Political Science. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1997; Molomo M, 2000, op. cit.

29. Molomo M, 2000, op. cit.

30. BCP (Botswana Congress Party), ‘Manifesto 2004’, Gaborone: BCP, 2004; NDF (National Democratic Front), ‘Manifesto 2004’, Gaborone: NDF, 2004; Pact, ‘Manifesto 2004’, Gaborone: Pact, 2004, p. 4.

31. Pact, op. cit.

32. IEC (Independent Electoral Commission), Report to the Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration on the 2004 General Elections. Gaborone: IEC, 2004; IEC (Independent Electoral Commission), ‘Elections 2004’, 2004, <http://www.iec.gov.bw>.

33. Daily News, ‘Election 2009 parliamentary results’, 20 October 2009.

34. Jackson J & D Jackson, op. cit., p.374.

35. Interview with opposition party official, Gaborone, June 2006.

36. Molutsi P, ‘Elections and electoral experience in Botswana’, in Edge W & M Lekorwe (eds), Botswana: Politics and Society. Pretoria: Van Schaik, 1998; Osei-Hwedie BZ, op. cit.; Molomo M, 2005, op. cit.

37. Interview with opposition party official, June 2006.

38. Osei-Hwedie BZ, op. cit.

39. Wiseman J & R Charlton, ‘Notes on recent elections: the October 1994 elections in Botswana’, Electoral Studies, 14, 1, 1995, pp. 3, 5; Holm J, ‘Elections in Botswana: institutionalization of a new system of legitimacy’, in Hayward F (ed.), Elections in Independent Africa. Boulder: Westview Press, 1987, p. 139.

40. Molutsi P, op. cit.

41. More recent surveys have not been conducted.

42. Democracy Research Project, May–June 2004 Gaborone: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Botswana.

43. Osei-Hwedie BZ, op. cit., p. 60.

44. Holm, op. cit. It is commonly assumed that state employees are mostly sympathetic to the opposition, while as civil servants they are expected to remain neutral.

45. Holm J, ‘Development, democracy and civil society in Botswana’, in Leftwich A (ed.), Democracy and Development: Theory and Practice. Cambridge: Polity Press, 1996.

46. The BDP, for example, received a BWP 2 million ($300,000) donation from an unknown company for the 2004 elections.

47. Sebudubudu D, ‘Funding of political parties in Botswana: democracy left to the market’, seminar paper, Department of Political and Administrative Studies, University of Botswana, 2003, p. 6.

48. Sebudubudu D, ‘Funding of political parties in Botswana: democracy left to the market’, seminar paper, Department of Political and Administrative Studies, University of Botswana, 2003, p. 6.

49. Pinto-Duschinsky M, ‘Financing politics: a global view’, Journal of Democracy, 13, 4, 2002, p. 70.

50. Ware A, ‘Conclusion’, in Burnell P & A Ware (eds), Funding Democratization. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1998, p. 42.

51. DRP (Democracy Research Project), Voter Apathy Report: An Abridged Version. Gaborone: IEC, 2002, p. 7.

52. Osei-Hwedie BZ, op. cit., p. 61.

53. Republic of Botswana/IEC, Report to the Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration on the General Elections. Gaborone: Government Printer, Appendices, 1999; Republic of Botswana/IEC, Report to the Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration on the General Elections. Gaborone: Government Printer, Appendices, 1994.

54. Osei-Hwedie BZ, op. cit.

55. Osei-Hwedie BZ, op. cit.

56. East R & T Joseph, Political Parties of Africa and the Middle East. Harlow: Longman, 1993.

57. Mokopakgosi B & M Molomo, ‘Political parties and democracy in Botswana’, unpublished paper, 1999.

58. Osei-Hwedie BZ, op. cit.

59. Osei-Hwedie BZ, op. cit.

60. Osei-Hwedie BZ, op. cit., pp. 58–9.

61. Osei-Hwedie BZ & D Sebudubudu, op. cit.; Molomo M, 2005, op. cit.; Molutsi P, op. cit.

62. Elklit J & L Reynolds, op. cit., p. 104.

63. Molutsi P, 2004, op. cit., p. 175.

64. Osei-Hwedie BZ & D Sebudubudu, op. cit., p. 45.

65. Holm J, 1996, op. cit.

66. Blondel J, op. cit.; Clapham C, ‘Opposition in tropical Africa’, Government and Opposition, 32, 4, 1997.

67. Molutsi P, ‘Botswana: the path to democracy and development’, in Gyimah Boadi E (ed.), Democratic Reform in Africa. Colorado: Lynne Rienner, 2004, p. 168.

68. Molutsi P, ‘Botswana: the path to democracy and development’, in Gyimah Boadi E (ed.), Democratic Reform in Africa. Colorado: Lynne Rienner, 2004, p. 169.

69. Blondel J, op. cit.

70. Osei-Hwedie BZ, op. cit.; Molutsi P, 2004, op. cit.

71. Molomo M, 2005, op. cit.

72. Interview with civil society officials, June 2006.

73. Interview with a senior member of the BDP, Gaborone, 21 September 2009.

74. Central Statistics Office, Republic of Botswana, 2005 Labour Force Survey. Gaborone: Government Printer, 2007.

75. Molutsi P, 2004, op. cit.

76. Molomo M, M Lekorwe, W Molefe & K Moseki, Political Participation and Democratic Consolidation in Botswana, Afrobarometer Report. Cape Town: The Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA) undated, p. 30.

77. Molutsi P, 2004, op. cit., p. 175.

78. Molutsi P, 2004, op. cit., pp. 169, 175, 177, 179.

79. Holm J, 1987, op. cit.