Botswana general election, 2009

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16 October 2009 (2009-10-16)

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	First party	Second party	Third party

Leader	Ian Khama	Otsweletse Moupo	Dumelang Saleshando
Party	BDP	BNF	BCP
Leader since	1 April 2008	25 November 2001	2005
Leader's seat	not running	not running	Selebi-Phikwe West
Last election	44 seats, 51.73%	12 seats, 26.06%	1 seat, 16.62%
Seats won	45	6	4
Seat change	1	6	3
Popular vote	290,099	119,509	104,302
Percentage	53.26%	21.94%	19.15%
Swing	1.53%	4.12%	2.53%

President before election

Ian Khama
BDP

Elected President

Ian Khama
BDP

General elections were held in Botswana on 16 October 2009, alongside local elections, with early voting in 26 polling stations abroad taking place 3 October. The result was a tenth successive victory for the Botswana Democratic Party, which won 45 of the 57 elected seats in the National Assembly.

The 57 directly-elected members of the National Assembly were elected in single-member constituencies. A further four members were elected from a list nominated by the President, whilst the President and Attorney General became ex officio members.

The ruling BDP was suffering from internal problems in the build up to the election, with President Ian Khama threatening to expel party leader and former cabinet minister Daniel Kwelagobe, leader of the Barata-Phathi faction within the BDP. Although Khama and Kwelagobe made amends, stability within the BDP remained open to question. The BDP campaign focussed on its record in government, including education, training and economic development.

Botswana National Front leader Otsweletse Moupo did not contest the elections after losing the party's primary elections for his Gaborone West North seat. It was speculated that he would try to get his party's nomination in Gaborone South, but ultimately Moupo declined to run. Its campaign centred on creating a strong civil society and improving social welfare and housing.

The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and the Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM) formed an electoral alliance and supported each other's candidates. BCP leader Dumelang Saleshando stood for election in Selebi-Phikwe West, a constituency held prior to the election by BDP candidate Kavis Kario. The alliance's campaign included a pledge to stop the economic downturn.

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