Democratic Government

Botswana has an active parliament, the National Assembly, which contains 40 directly elected MPs, while a further four additional specially elected members are nominated by the president, and is subject to parliamentary approval.

Elections take place every five years, and the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has won successive elections since independence, with two other parties currently represented in parliament. The BDP holds a two-thirds majority in the current parliament. The president is the head of the executive arm of government but is not directly elected in his/her own right but holds office as the leader of the party with a majority of directly elected MPs. The president is also constitutionally limited to two five-year terms of office.

The House of Chiefs advises the government on matters of custom and tradition, including reviewing draft bills before their consideration by parliament, to which the eight Setswana paramount chiefs have automatic membership. Botswana conducts a unique form of communicating and consulting with its citizens through the medium of the kgotla, traditional communal assemblies at which government policies can be discussed.

Botswana's Constitution provides for the protection of fundamental rights and individual freedoms, including freedom of speech, association and the press, an independent judiciary and equal rights for all citizens. The government has committed itself to the amendment of certain clauses of the Constitution, in response to claims by some minority groups that they have been discriminatory, so as to promote nation building in the spirit of unity in diversity.

Political parties and trade unions have the right to demonstrate, but such demonstrations tend to be generally peaceful, and large-scale political disturbances are virtually unknown.

The government's policies include strategies that maximise productivity and add value throughout economy increase flows of foreign direct investment (FDI) by an attractive and transparent fiscal and operating environment, and intensify marketing Botswana's products through coordinated export promotion.