The 2024 Botswana elections and the demise of the Botswana Democratic Party

Abstract In the October 2024 elections, Botswana experienced for the first time a change of government. The ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) lost power to the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). The BDP was related to the minority opposition in parliament. This article delves into the factors that led to the loss of the BDP in these elections. It attributes the demise of the BDP to economic factors such as high levels of unemployment, bad governance practices, and internal squabbles over the ­party’s primary elections, which resulted in some members ­contesting the elections as independent candidates.