The weakness of opposition parties in Botswana: A justification for more internal-party democracy in the dominant Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)

Abstract

Botswana’s opposition parties are too weak to unseat the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). To substitute for weak
opposition, this paper advocates for more internal democracy in the BDP for Botswana’s democracy to consolidate.
The BDP has leadership elections but few other elements of internal democracy. Policy-making is centralised on the
party leadership to the exclusion of party membership. The leadership is also excessively intolerant of dissent and
parliamentary backbench. Furthermore, the leadership dominates candidate selection, thus determining the
composition of parliament. With membership excluded from policy-making, critics silenced and backbench
disciplined, possibilities exist for the BDP government to become unresponsive, unaccountable and authoritarian. For
internal democracy to substitute for weak opposition, the paper proposes that BDP factionalism should shift from
opportunism to principle. Finally, considering that Botswana’s constitution compounds autocracy in the BDP by
centralising power on the president and granting him/her immunity from prosecution, the paper advocates for
constitutional amendment.