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; vice
president KHAMA is on a one-year leave of absence, effective 1 January
2000, but retains the title of vice president
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; vice
president KHAMA is on a one-year leave of absence, effective 1 January
2000, but retains the title of vice president
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year
term; election last held 16 October 1999 (next to be held NA October
2004); vice president appointed by the president
election results: Festus MOGAE elected president; percent of National
Assembly vote - 61.3%

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 16 October 1999
(next to be held NA October 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 61.3%, other 38.7%;
seats by party - BDP 33, other 7

Judicial branch: High Court; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: Botswana Democratic Party or BDP
; Botswana National Front or BNF ;
Botswana Congress Party or BCP ; Botswana People's
Party or BPP
note: main parties are: BDP, BNF, BCP; other minor parties joined
forces in 1999 to form the Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Kenneth
KOMA, chairman] but did not capture any parliamentary seats; the BAM
parties are: the United Action Party , the
Social Democratic Union, the Independence Freedom Party [Motsamai
MPHO], and the B