Electioneering Slowly Gathering Pace

The next general election looks likely to take place in October 2009, although it could happen a few months earlier. The ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which has ruled uninterrupted since independence, is again the overwhelming favourite to win the traditionally free and fair polls. The opposition might make some gains in parliament, but remains divided and largely bereft of any alternative national programme. As a result, campaigning by the opposition consists mostly of throwing mud at the government; it seldom sticks, and such tactics have never resonated with the population, which generally holds the BDP in high regard as the party of independence. Moreover, President Ian Khama is viewed as the country's supreme chief, a critical position in what remains a deeply traditional society.

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