Botswana Movement for Democracy

The Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) is an opposition political party in Botswana established in 2010 by MPs and other politicians who split from the ruling Botswana Democratic Party over differences with Ian Khama, the BDP's leader and President of Botswana.[1]

Botswana Movement for Democracy
LeaderSydney Pilane
Founded2010
IdeologyLiberalism
Political positionCentre
International affiliationAfrica Liberal Network

It was the first party to split from the BDP, which has ruled Botswana since independence in 1966. Its original leader was Gomolemo Motswaledi, elected on May 2, 2011 at the party's inaugural congress. Botsalo Ntuane, currently MP for Gaborone West South constituency and the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, was elected as party Vice President. Sydney Pilane, who had been serving as the party's Public Relation's Officer since its formation, lost his bid for Party President to Motswaledi.[2]

According to the Preamble of the Constitution of the BMD, the party was founded "to defend and advance the rights of the peoples of Botswana during and in order to interrupt and reverse the progressive destruction of their independence and the creation of what, by most accounts, threatens to be an authoritarian government". The document goes on to stress that is aims to remove the current "undemocratic" government of Botswana "through constitutional and democratic means" with the aim of restoring and promoting "a united, non-racial, non-sexist and democratic Botswana." [3]

Electoral history

National Assembly elections
Election Party leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Government
2014 Sydney Pilane 207,113 30.01%

as part of UDC
2 / 50
 2 2nd Opposition
2019 2,058 0.27%
0 / 63
 2 5th Opposition

References
  1. "Botswana Breakaway Party Launched in Split With Khama (Update1)". Bloomberg Businessweek. 29 May 2010. Archived from the original on 16 April 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  2. The Battle for BMD Archived July 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine,Botswana Guardian, 3 May 2011
  3. Constitution of the BMD
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