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General elections were held in the
Bechuanaland Protectorate The Bechuanaland Protectorate () was a British protectorate, protectorate established on 31 March 1885 in Southern Africa by the United Kingdom. It became the Botswana, Republic of Botswana on 30 September 1966. History Scottish missionary ...
on 1 March 1965, the country's first election under
universal suffrage Universal suffrage or universal franchise ensures the right to vote for as many people bound by a government's laws as possible, as supported by the " one person, one vote" principle. For many, the term universal suffrage assumes the exclusion ...
.Botswana: The 1965 Pre-Independence General Election
EISA
The result was a landslide victory for the Bechuanaland Democratic Party (BDP), with
Seretse Khama Sir Seretse Goitsebeng Maphiri Khama, GCB, KBE (1 July 1921 – 13 July 1980) was a Motswana politician who served as the first President of Botswana, a post he held from 1966 to his death in 1980. Born into an influential royal famil ...
becoming
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
. Following the elections, the country became independent as
Botswana Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory part of the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the sou ...
on 30 September 1966, at which point Khama became
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
. The BDP would go on to win the next twelve elections, maintaining its grip on power until its defeat at the 2024 general election 59 years later.


Campaign

The elections were contested by three main parties;Gossett, CW, and Lotshwao, K., 2009, Report on the 1965 General Election and the 1966 Local Government Election, ''Botswana Notes & Records'', Vol. 41, pp.47-63 the Bechuanaland Democratic Party led by Khama, the Bechuanaland People's Party (BDP) led by Philip Matante and the Bechuanaland Independence Party led by Motsamai Mpho. There was also a single independent candidate, G.E.N. Mannathoko, who ran in Tati West.Botswana Election Results
Election Passport
In the Lobatsi and Barolong constituency, there were two candidates from the Bechuanaland People's Party, one of which represented the Motsete branch. Despite acceptance that the BDP was likely to win easily, there was widespread interest in the elections. The BDP was seen as a moderate party with responsible leaders and realistic policies; in contrast the leaders of the other parties were perceived to be quarrelsome and overly ethnocentric. Three BDP candidates were elected unopposed in Ghanzi, Kgalagadi and
Kweneng Kweneng is a village in Kweneng District of Botswana Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory part of the ...
West.


Results


References

{{Botswana elections Elections in Botswana Bechuanaland
General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
Election and referendum articles with incomplete results Bechuanaland Democratization