List of political parties in Botswana

Botswana was a dominant-party state with the Botswana Democratic Party in power for most of its history.[1] Opposition parties were widely considered to have little chance of gaining a parliamentary majority until the 2024 Botswana general election which saw the Umbrella for Democratic Change win a parliamentary majority.

Current parties

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Parties represented in the National Assembly

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Alliance Abbr. Party Abbr. Ideology Seats
Umbrella for Democratic Change UDC Alliance for Progressives AP Social liberalism
Civic nationalism
36 / 69
Botswana People's Party BPP Democratic socialism
Pan-Africanism
Botswana National Front BNF Social democracy
Christian left
Botswana Congress Party BCP Social democracy
Third Way
15 / 69
Botswana Patriotic Front BPF Populism
5 / 69
Botswana Democratic Party BDP Paternalistic conservatism
4 / 69

Minor parties

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Party Abbr. Leader Ideology
Botswana Labour Party BLP Moiseraele Dibeela Socialism
Co-operative economics
Economic nationalism
Botswana Movement for Democracy BMD Thuso Tiego Right-wing populism
Botswana Republican Party BRP Biggie Butale Christian democracy
Social conservatism
Real Alternative Party RAP Gaontebale Mokgosi Socialism
Revolutionary socialism

Historical

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Alliance name Abbr. Ideology Existence
Botswana Alliance Movement BAM Progressivism 1999-2010
Botswana Freedom Party BFP ?-1994
Botswana Independence Party BIP 1962-1994
Botswana Liberal Party BLP Liberalism 1983-?
Botswana Progressive Union [nl] BPU 1984-1991
Botswana Workers Front BWF Nationalism
Christian democracy
1993-?
Independence Freedom Party IFP 1994
MELS Movement of Botswana MELS Communism
Marxism–Leninism
Anti-revisionism
Pan-Africanism
1994-2013
New Democratic Front NDF Progressivism 2003-2004
Social Democratic Party SDP Social democracy 1999
United Action Party UAP Familialism
Youth rights
Feminism
1999-?
United Socialist Party USP
PUSO
Left-wing politics 1994-1999

Political alliances

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Alliance name Abbr. Ideology Existence
United Democratic Front UDF Nationalism
Christian democracy
founded in 1994

See also

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References

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ Afrobarometer 2023, p. 1-5.

Citations

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Afrobarometer (27 April 2023). Majority of Batswana are not opposed to a dominant-party system, so long as elections are free and fair (PDF) (Report). pp. 1–5. Retrieved 12 May 2024.

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (2005). Parteien und Parteiensysteme in Afrika (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 19 November 2024.