This article argues that Botswana is an election success story in Africa and beyond. So far, it has held ten peaceful, successive and uninterrupted elections, with the latest held in October 2009, making it the longest-surviving democracy in Africa. The country possesses most of the important ingredients of liberal democracy, including the existence of an Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) that manages elections. The article discusses the management of elections in Botswana and attempts to situate the discussion within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. It is argued that although there are some deficiencies in the electoral management body (EMB) in the country, which call for reforms to make it truly independent, the Botswana EMB has been relatively successful in executing its mandate. Despite being a success story in terms of elections and democracy, the country has functioned as a one-party-dominant state with some observable features of pluralism. It has also not succumbed to the violent electoral politics that have bedevilled some African states. This is partly attributed to ethnic homogeneity, culture and the role of the political leadership. In this sense, the country can be seen as a model of stability and continuity, compared to most African states, which is a remarkable achievement on a continent renowned for political instability.

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