Parliament of Botswana


The Parliament of Botswana consists of the President and the National Assembly. In contrast to other parliamentary systems, the Parliament elects the President directly for a set five-year term of office. A president can only serve 2 full terms. The President is both Head of state and of government in Botswana's parliamentary republican system. The Parliament of Botswana is the supreme legislative authority. In October 2024, the 2024 general election was held which saw the ousting of the Botswana Democratic Party from power after 59 years of government, propelling the opposition centre-left Umbrella for Democratic Change to a majority of 36 seats in the 69 seat National Assembly.
There also exists a body known as Ntlo ya Dikgosi,, which is an advisory body that does not form part of the Parliament.
Botswana is one of only two African nations to have achieved a clean record of free and fair elections since independence, having held 11 elections since 1966 without any serious incidents of corruption.