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Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Botswana
conventional short form: Botswana
former: Bechuanaland
Data code: BC
Government type: parliamentary republic
Capital: Gaborone
Administrative divisions: 10 districts and four town councils*; Central, Chobe, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Ngamiland, North-East, Selebi-Pikwe*, South-East, Southern
Independence: 30 September 1966 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 30 September (1966)
Constitution: March 1965, effective 30 September 1966
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and
Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since NA April 1998); note—the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998)
and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since NA April 1998); note—the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year
term; election last held 15 October 1994 (next to be held NA October
1999); vice president appointed by the president
election results: Sir Ketumile MASIRE elected president; percent
of National Assembly vote—NA
note: President MASIRE resigned on 31 March 1998; Vice President
MOGAE assumed the presidency pending elections to be held in 1999;
on 2 April 1998, Festus MOGAE, then president, designated Seretse
Ian KHAMA to be vice president
Legislative branch: bicameral
Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely advisory
15-member body consisting of the chiefs of the eight principal
tribes, four elected subchiefs, and three members selected by
the other 12) and the National Assembly (44 seats, 40 members
are directly elected by popular vote and 4 appointed by the majority
party; members serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly—elections last held 15 October
1994 (next to be held NA October 1999)
election results: percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—BDP
27, BNF 13
Judicial branch: High Court; Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders: Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Festus MOGAE]; Botswana Freedom Party or BFP [leader NA]; Botswana National Front or BNF [Kenneth KOMA]; Botswana People's Party or BPP [Knight MARIPE]; Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]; Unified Action Party or UAP [Lepetu SETSHWEALD]
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in
the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Archibald Mooketsa MOGWE
chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990
FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164
Diplomatic representation from
the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert C. KRUEGER
embassy: address NA, Gaborone
mailing address: P. O. Box 90, Gaborone
telephone: [267] 353982
FAX: [267] 356947
Flag description: light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center