September 1966 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day (Botswana 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 G. MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and
Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Festus G. MOGAE (since 1 April 1998)
and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president indirectly elected for a five-year term;
election last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held NA 2009); vice
president appointed by the president
election results: Festus G. MOGAE elected president; percent of
National Assembly vote - 52%

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 members) and the National Assembly (61 seats, 57
members are directly elected by popular vote and four are appointed
by the majority party; members serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly elections last held 30 October 2004
(next to be held October 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 52%, BNF 26%, BCP
17%, other 5%; seats by party - BDP 44, BNF 12, BCP 1

Judicial branch:
High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each
district)

Political parties and leaders:
Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Festus G. MOGAE]; Botswana
National Front or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO]; Botswana Congress Party or
BCP [Otlaadisa KOOSALETSE]; Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM
[Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]
note: a number of minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the
BAM but did not capture any parliamentary seats; the BAM parties
are: the United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; the
Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]; and the Botswana
Progressive Union [D. K. KWELE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
N