User:Aficionado538/1: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Botswana's national unicameral legislature}}

| of Botswana

{{Infobox legislature

| background_color = #9cccf0

| name = The National Assembly of Botswana

| native_name = ''Palamente ya Botswana''

| native_name_lang = [[Tswana]]

| = [[ of Botswana|]]

| coa_pic = Coat of arms of Botswana.svg

| coa_res = 100px

| coa_alt =

| logo_pic = File:Parliament of Botswana (logo).svg

|

| logo_alt =

| house_type = [[Unicameralism|Unicameral legislature]]

| body = Parliament of Botswana

| houses =

| term_limits = None

| foundation = 1966

| preceded_by =

| succeeded_by =

| new_session = {{Start date|2019|11|05}}

| disbanded =

| leader1_type = [[Speaker of the National Assembly of Botswana|Speaker]]

| leader1 = [[Phandu Skelemani]]

| party1 = ''ex-officio''<ref>{{cite web |title=The Speaker |url=https://www.parliament.gov.bw/index.php/2012-02-13-15-06-33/speaker |website=parliament.gov.bw |publisher=Parliament of Botswana |access-date=22 July 2021}}</ref>

| leader2_type = Deputy Speaker

| leader2 = [[Pono Moatlhodi]]

| party2 = [[Botswana Democratic Party|BDP]]<ref>{{cite web |author1=Mompati Tlhankane |title=Moatlhodi takes over as Deputy Speaker |url=https://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?aid=90554&dir=2021/july/06 |website=mmegi.bw |date=6 July 2021 |access-date=22 July 2021}}</ref>

| leader4_type = Leader of the House

| leader4 = [[Slumber Tsogwane]]

| party4 = BDP<ref>{{cite web |title=Leader of the House |url=https://www.parliament.gov.bw/index.php/2012-02-13-15-06-33/leader-of-the-house |website=parliament.gov.bw |publisher=Parliament of Botswana |access-date=22 July 2021}}</ref>

| leader3_type = [[President of Botswana]]

| leader3 = [[Mokgweetsi Masisi]]

| party3 = ''ex-officio''

| leader6_type = [[Leader of the Opposition (Botswana)|Leader of the Opposition]]

| leader6 = Dithapelo Keorapetse

| party6 = [[Umbrella for Democratic Change|UDC]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=KEORAPETSE NEW LOO|url=https://dailynews.gov.bw/news-detail/68042|access-date=2023-01-11|website=dailynews.gov.bw}}</ref>

| leader5_type = Government Whip

| leader5 = [[Liakat Kablay]]

| party5 = BDP<ref name="whip">{{cite web |title=Party Whips |url=https://www.parliament.gov.bw/index.php/2012-02-13-15-06-33/party-whips |website=parliament.gov.bw |publisher=Parliament of Botswana |access-date=22 July 2021}}</ref>

| leader7_type = Opposition whip

| leader7 = Motsamai Motsamai

| party7 = UDC<ref name="whip" />

| members = 65

| seats =

| house1 =

| structure1 = [[File:Botswana National Assembly 2022.svg|250px|centre]]

| structure1_res = 275px

| political_groups1 =

'''Government (45)'''

* {{nowrap|{{Color box|#E61E26|border=silver}} [[Botswana Democratic Party]] (38)}}

* {{nowrap|{{Color box|#E61E26|border=black}} Specially-elected (5)}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Masisi's SEMPs A Tough Assignment |url=https://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?aid=83361&dir=2019/november/04 |access-date=22 July 2021 |work=Mmegi |publisher=The Monitor |date=4 November 2019}}</ref>

* {{nowrap|{{Color box|#000000|border=silver}} [[Ex officio member|Ex-officio]] (2)}}<ref>{{cite web |title=FAQs |url=https://www.parliament.gov.bw/index.php/frequently-asked-questions#q1 |quote= 2 are Ex-officios being the President and The Speaker|website=parliament.gov.bw |publisher=Parliament of Botswana |access-date=22 July 2021}}</ref>

'''[[Official opposition]]''' (19)

*{{Color box|{{party color|Umbrella for Democratic Change}}}} [[Umbrella for Democratic Change]] (19){{efn|

*{{Color box|{{party color|Botswana Congress Party}}|border=#244197}} [[Botswana Congress Party|BCP]] (7){{efn|Despite having left the UDC, the 7 MPs still sit under the UDC group in Parliament as a result of a ban on [[Crossing the floor|floor crossings]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tlhankane |first=Mompati |date=5 June 2023 |title=UDC accused of destabilising BCP |work=[[Mmegi Online|Mmegi]] |quote=The BCP is currently stuck in the coalition because it cannot afford to trigger by-elections because of a new piece of legislation that prohibits Parliament floor crossing.|url=https://www.mmegi.bw/ampArticle/108459 |access-date=6 June 2023}}</ref>}}

*{{Color box|{{party color|Independent politician}}}} [[Independent politician|Independent]] (4){{efn|Originally members of the [[Botswana Congress Party]] (BCP), the four BCP [[Member of Parliament (Botswana)|MPs]], faced expulsion from the party in July 2022 for defying the BCP Central Committee. This defiance occurred when they ousted the BCP leader, [[Dumelang Saleshando]], from the position of Leader of the Opposition. Consequently, they are currently independents and have not joined a political party, though they maintain affiliation with the [[Umbrella for Democratic Change|UDC]] parliamentary group.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tlhankane |first=Mompati |date=1 August 2022 |title=The determined, unyielding Keorapetse |work=[[Mmegi Online|Mmegi]] |url=https://www.mmegi.bw/ampArticle/104595 |access-date=31 October 2023}}</ref>}}

|}

*{{Color box|{{party color|Botswana Patriotic Front}}}} [[Botswana Patriotic Front|BPF]] (4)

*{{Color box|{{party color|Botswana National Front}}}} [[Botswana National Front|BNF]] (2)

*{{Color box|#662A92}} [[Alliance for Progressives]] (1)

*{{Color box|{{party color|Botswana People's Party}}}} [[Botswana People's Party|BPP]] (1)}}

'''Other opposition''' (1)

* {{nowrap|{{Color box|#AAAAAA|border=black}} Specially-elected independent ([[Unity Dow|1]])}}

| term_length = 5 years

| committees1 =

| committees2 =

| joint_committees =

| voting_system1 = [[First-past-the-post voting|First-past-the-post]]

| voting_system2 =

| first_election1 = [[1965 Bechuanaland general election|1 March 1965]]

| last_election1 = [[2019 Botswana general election|23 October 2019]]

| next_election1 = [[2024 Botswana general election|By October 2024]]

| session_room = File:BotswanaParliament.jpg

| meeting_place = National Assembly Chamber<br>[[Gaborone]]<br>[[South-East District (Botswana)|South-East District]]

| website = {{URL|https://www.parliament.gov.bw/}}

| footnotes =

| motto =

}}

{{Politics of Botswana}} The '''National Assembly''' is the sole [[Legislature|legislative body]] of [[Botswana]]'s [[unicameral]] [[Parliament of Botswana|Parliament]], of which consists of the [[President of Botswana|President]] and the National Assembly.<ref name=":4">{{cite journal |last1=Botlhale |first1=Emmanuel |last2=Lotshwao |first2=Kebapetse |date=2013 |title=The Uneasy Relationship Between Parliament and the Executive in Botswana |journal=Botswana Notes and Records |volume=45 |pages=39–51 |jstor=90024373 }}</ref> The House passes [[laws]], provides [[Minister (government)|ministers]] to form [[Cabinet of Botswana|Cabinet]], and supervises the work of government. It is also responsible for adopting the country's budgets. It is advised by the [[Ntlo ya Dikgosi]], a council of [[Kgosi|tribal chiefs]] which is not a [[Legislative chamber|house]] of Parliament.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Norton |first1=Philip |title=How many bicameral legislatures are there? |journal=The Journal of Legislative Studies |date=21 December 2004 |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=1–9 |doi=10.1080/1357233042000322436 |s2cid=143950774 }}</ref>

Though there were legislative predecessors to the National Assembly during colonial rule, it was not until [[Independence of Botswana|independence in 1966]] that the National Assembly of Botswana officially formed.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Lewis |first=Stephen R. Jr. |title=Explaining Botswana's Success: The Importance of Culture - Carleton College |url=https://www.carleton.edu/president/lewis/speeches-writings/botswana-success/ |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=www.carleton.edu |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last=Tesfahun |first=Amsalu Tebeje |date=2015 |title=The Endurance and Decline of Single Party Dominance in African States: A Case Study of Botswana and Senegal |url=https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ejossah/article/view/134622 |journal=Ethiopian Journal of the Social Sciences and Humanities |language=en |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=1–28 }}</ref> Since then, there have been consistent multi-party elections and 5 peaceful presidential transitions.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |title=Botswana: African miracle or African mirage? |url=https://africasacountry.com/2016/10/botswana-at-50-african-miracle-or-african-mirage |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=africasacountry.com |date=4 March 2018 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":5" />

Currently, there are 65 total members of the National Assembly.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Botswana's ruling party BDP wins general election: Chief justice |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/25/botswanas-ruling-party-bdp-wins-general-election-chief-justice |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}</ref> Voters in single member [[Constituency|constituencies]] directly elect 57 of these members for a term of 5 years through a plurality (or [[First-past-the-post voting|first-past-the-post]]) system. Six members, meanwhile, are nominated by the President and elected by the assembly. Finally, the remaining two (the [[President of Botswana|President]] and [[List of speakers of the National Assembly of Botswana|Speaker of the National Assembly]]) are ''[[ex officio]]''.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Botswana 1966 (rev. 2016) Constitution - Constitute |url=https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Botswana_2016?lang=en |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=www.constituteproject.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Office-Bearers & Members |url=https://www.parliament.gov.bw/index.php/2012-02-13-15-06-33 |access-date=2022-04-20 |website=www.parliament.gov.bw}}</ref>

Despite the presence of consistent elections, the National Assembly has not escaped criticism. In every election since the founding elections in 1965, the [[Botswana Democratic Party]] has won a majority of seats in the legislative body. As a result, an inter-party power transition has not occurred.<ref name=":11">{{Cite journal |last=Poteete |first=Amy R. |date=2012 |title=Electoral competition, factionalism, and persistent party dominance in Botswana |journal=The Journal of Modern African Studies |volume=50 |issue=1 |pages=75–102 |doi=10.1017/S0022278X11000619 |jstor=41474960 |s2cid=154672233 }}</ref><ref name=":15">{{Cite web |title=Botswana: législatives sur fond de crise économique – Jeune Afrique |url=https://www.jeuneafrique.com/depeches/102799/politique/botswana-legislatives-sur-fond-de-crise-economique/ |access-date=2022-03-14 |website=JeuneAfrique.com |language=fr-FR}}</ref> Additionally, political science scholars have sometimes expressed concern about the National Assembly because of its few women MPs and its interconnectedness with the executive.<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last=Bauer |first=Gretchen |date=2010 |title='Cows Will Lead the Herd into a Precipice': Where Are the Women MPs in Botswana? |journal=Botswana Notes and Records |volume=42 |pages=56–70 |jstor=23237971 }}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last1=Sebudubudu |first1=David |last2=Maripe |first2=Bugalo |last3=Botlhomilwe |first3=Mokganedi Z. |last4=Malila |first4=Ikanyeng S. |date=2013 |title=The Mutation of Parliament into a 'Registration Chamber': Executive Dominance over the Legislature in Botswana |journal=The African Review: A Journal of African Politics, Development and International Affairs |volume=40 |issue=2 |pages=33–59 |jstor=45341655 }}</ref>