Is democracy working when one party rules for 50 years?

The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has been ruling the Republic of Botswana for more than 50 years! Can we honestly say the multi-party democratic system of government Batswana subscribe to, is working?

Multi-party democracy implies a government of many parties. The concept that there must be many parties in the Constitution of a democratic government underlines the fact that people by nature have diverse views as to how best they should be ruled. In addition times change and so people change their orientation. Life is not static, but dynamic.

At a BDP seminar in 1983, the late Dr QKJ Masire is reported in these words to define democracy: “Democracy is nothing new in this country. We have always practised it at our Kgotlas. You will know that this democratic concept is implied in the Setswana saying: Mmua-lebe o bua la gagwe… That means everyone has the right to speak his mind. It doesn’t matter how disagreeably you regard his point of view. And at our Kgotla meetings, men and women irrespective of their social standing, contributed to the debates on matters of public interest. We have therefore blended our democratic tradition with the modern political system..”  Democracy at work .. (A Dialogue between Political theory and Practice).

Editor's Comment
Bulela Ditswe entry fee could hamper broke talent

The fees have been doubled from the previous amounts and raise concerns about political participation accessibility and democratic representation principles.This significant fee increase prompts questions regarding its impact on grassroots democracy.On one hand, the fees act as a filter, ensuring only serious contenders enter the race, potentially reducing frivolous candidacies and generating crucial campaign funds. The BDP argues that aspiring...

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