Elections and the Management of Diversity in Botswana

This study is part of a broader project that seeks to measure progress towards good governance in Africa. The study involved different strategies for data collection. These strategies include literature review, focus group discussions and the use of self-administered questionnaires predesigned by the Economic Commission for Africa. The questionnaires targeted people who are experts on the subject matter being studied.

On whether the Constitution protects and promotes diversity and minority interests, those who thought it ‘mostly’ does made 37.5% while those who thought it ‘sometimes’ does accounted for 30.8%. 22% indicated it ‘rarely’ or ‘not at all’ protects and promote minority rights. Only 9.2% said it ‘always’ does. These views were supported by some participants of the People with Disabilities Focus Group Discussion.

The still high approval rating of the electoral system contrasts with views that the electoral system discriminates against women and minor parties, and also distorts (in favour of larger parties) the proportion of votes won when translated into seats won. The First Past The Post (FPTP) electoral system is generally accepted as credible. However, to reach consensus on the voting system a national referendum should be carried out on the matter to let the electorate choose their preferred voting system.

Nationally the representation of women in parliament dropped from 20% to eight percent in the
2009 general elections far below the 50% threshold suggested in the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development. On the participation of women in politics, 43.4% of the Expert Panel felt that women ‘do not at all’ or ‘rarely’ play a major role in party politics, while 31.7% thought women ‘mostly or always’ play a meaningful role in party politics. 25% thought they ‘do so sometimes’. With regard to the youth in Botswana, lack of financial resources to finance their campaigns for political office, due to unemployment and Tswana culture, imposes limits on their opportunities’ and undermines their involvement in politics.

ISBN: 978-99912-71-50-7
Publisher: Botswana Institute For Development Policy Analysis
Year of Publication: 2013
Download : 19402_botsdoc.pdf