The BDP also enjoyed favoured access to state resources, like the electronic media and communications. It is documented that BTv does not enjoy editorial freedom in its presentation of news, and the appearances and speeches of the BDP leader, Mogae, are accorded special prominence on the grounds that he is State President. Appearances by the opposition leaders on BTv, in contrast, are limited on the grounds that they are "political" in nature. The ruling party can readily attract able and ambitious candidates, and while it competed in all 57 constituencies, the BCP did so only in 50, and the BNF just in 42. The enlargement of parliament from 44 elected seats to 57 a few months earlier - a move made without public notification and discussion of its consequences -- further strengthened the ruling party. The government steadfastly opposes all proposals for public funding for political parties. In consequence '[opposition] parties are under-resourced and depend on unreliable and unsustainable sources of funding' (Sebudubudu, 2003: 113).
This restriction extended into access to broadcasting and the media, with patent results. The Constitution provides for freedom of speech and of the press but, according to a report of the U.S. Department of State (2003: 1 and 4), released in 2004, 'in practice...the government attempted to limit freedom of the press and continued to dominate domestic broadcasting.' Stories and news-sources were 'occasionally censored'. The report noted that radio remained the most important medium of public communication in the country, and the state-owned Radio Botswana was the only service capable of reaching into the whole nation.
