This archive report was first published on 31 August 2019.
Botswana is set to hold general elections on October 23, a move that comes as tensions rise between President Mokgweetsi Masisi and his estranged predecessor, Ian Khama.
According to a statement by Osupile Maroba from the national election commission, the 2019 General Elections will fill the 57 National Assembly vacancies and 490 local government vacancies.
The last date for nominations is September 26, and the country has been ruled by the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) uninterruptedly since it gained independence from Britain in 1966.
The BDP will face opposition from the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) and the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), a splinter group led by former president Khama.
Khama ruled from 2008 to 2018 and handed power to Masisi after completing two terms, but he has since walked out of the party, citing Masisi's autocratic tendencies.
Since coming to office, Masisi has changed several key policies adopted by Khama, including the lifting of the wildlife sports hunting ban imposed in 2014.
Botswana has the world's largest elephant population, with more than 135,000 roaming freely in its unfenced parks and wide open spaces.
