The Politics of Opposition Electoral Coalitions and Alliances in Botswana

Abstract

This paper examines the limitations of coalition politics in Botswana. As in other African countries with a one party dominant system, the opposition sees coalition, cooperation and alliance politics as the most viable way to wrestle power from the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). Botswana’s electoral outcomes have never culminated in the formation of a coalition government. However, the opposition has tried various forms of pre-electoral coalitions but with partial success. The paper argues that although coalitions or alliances present an opportunity to the opposition, the challenge in the main has been disagreements over the model of cooperation.  The paper, therefore, contends that alternation of power in Botswana remains somewhat a distant possibility mainly because of the nature of opposition electoral cooperation. It maintains that the politics of the opposition coalition or cooperation in Botswana has been one of failure, doomed to fail, hence, a model of failure or at worst no model, as the principal opposition parties are yet to forge a working alliance. This makes the ruling BDP the key dominant force while the opposition remains largely on the periphery.

* Corresponding Author: Professor in Political Science, Department of Political and Administrative Studies, University of Botswana, E-mail: sebudubu@mopipi.ub.bw