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Botswana Government 1999

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

    Data code: BC

    Government type: parliamentary republic

    Capital: Gaborone

    Administrative divisions: 10 districts and four town councils*; Central, Chobe, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Ngamiland, North-East, Selebi-Pikwe*, 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) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since NA 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) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since NA 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 Seretse Ian KHAMA to be vice president

    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 NA 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, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

    Diplomatic representation in the US:
    chief of mission: Ambassador Archibald Mooketsa MOGWE
    chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
    telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990
    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

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    Revised 1-Mar-99
    Copyright © 1999 Photius Coutsoukis (all rights reserved)