President of Botswana

President of the Republic of Botswana
Tautona wa Botswana
Presidential flag
Incumbent Duma Boko since 1 November 2024
Style	Mr President His Excellency
Residence	State House
Seat	Gaborone
Appointer	Parliament of Botswana
Term length	5 years, renewable once
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Botswana
Inaugural holder	Seretse Khama
Formation	30 September 1966
Deputy	Vice-President of Botswana
Salary	P 1,075,056[1]

Politics of Botswana
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The President of the Republic of Botswana is the head of state and the head of government of Botswana, as well as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, according to the Constitution of Botswana.^[2] Sir Seretse Khama was the prime minister from 1965 to 1966,^[3] however he later became president of Botswana, and as of 2024 there have been no prime ministers since.^[3]

The president is elected to a five-year term that runs concurrently with the term of the National Assembly.^[4] Previously, a president could be reelected any number of times. In 1997, under the second president, Quett Masire, term limits were imposed on the office for the first time.^[5][6] Since 1998, the president has been limited to a total of 10 years in office (equivalent to two full terms), whether successive or separated.^[6] The first president for whom the term limits applied was Festus Mogae, who was required to leave office for good in 2008.^[7] Each president gets a guaranteed pension.^[8]

The president is elected by the members of the National Assembly following a general election. All candidates for the National Assembly declare whom they endorse for president when they lodge their nomination papers, and the candidate who receives a majority of endorsements from the elected members of the National Assembly is automatically elected.^[9][10][11] If no candidate receives a majority of endorsements, the National Assembly elects the president by simple majority, before it co-opts the specially elected members. If no president is elected after three ballots, or if the Speaker determines that no candidate has enough support to be elected, the legislature is automatically dissolved for fresh elections.^[10] In practice, the president is the leader of the majority party or alliance in the Assembly.^[12] Also, given the first-past-the-post system for the National Assembly, majority governments have been the rule in Botswana since independence.

Political parties

Symbols

^† Died in office

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected[13][14]	Term of office			Political party (Coalition)
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Seretse Khama (1921–1980)[15][16]	1965 1969 1974 1979	30 September 1966[17]	13 July 1980[†][14]	13 years, 287 days	BDP
2		Quett Masire (1925–2017)[5]	1984 1989 1994	18 July 1980[14]	31 March 1998[14]	17 years, 256 days	BDP
3		Festus Mogae (born 1939)[18]	1999 2004	1 April 1998[19]	1 April 2008[20]	10 years	BDP
4		Ian Khama (born 1953)[21]	2009 2014	1 April 2008[22]	1 April 2018[23]	10 years	BDP
5		Mokgweetsi Masisi (born 1961)[24]	2019	1 April 2018[25]	1 November 2024	6 years, 214 days	BDP
6		Duma Boko (born 1969)	2024	1 November 2024[26]	Incumbent	21 days	BNF (UDC)

This is a graphical lifespan timeline of presidents of Botswana. The presidents are listed in order of office.

• Padnani, Amisha (29 June 2017). "Ketumile Masire, Who Shaped and Led a Vibrant Botswana, Dies at 91". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
• Ntuane, Batsalo (22 May 2006). "Democratic forces must safeguard presidential term limits". Mmegi.bw. Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
• Chaudry, Serena (18 October 2009). "Botswana's President Khama wins new term". The Independent. Reuters. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
• Cook, Candace; Siegle, Joseph. "Circumvention of Term Limits Weakens Governance in Africa". Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 28 May 2024.

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• List of heads of government of Botswana
• Vice-President of Botswana