Botswana Government 1996

1998 UPDATE

• Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Botswana
  conventional short form: Botswana
  former: Bechuanaland

  Data code: BC

  Government type: parliamentary republic

  National capital: Gaborone

  Administrative divisions: 10 districts and four town councils*; Central, Chobe, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Ngamiland, North-East, Selebi-Phikwe*, 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) note—the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 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 S. K. Ian KHAMA to be vice president after he is elected to the National Assembly in accordance with constitutional requirements

  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 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, WMO, WToO, WTrO

  Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Archibald Mooketsa MOGWE
  chancery: Suite 7M, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990, 4991
  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