The Botswana People’s Party (BPP) is a progressive political party

Political party

A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...

 in Botswana

Botswana

Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...

, led by Bernard Balikani. BPP is the first political movement in Botswana having being formed in 1960. At the last general election

Botswana general election, 2009

General elections were held in Botswana on 16 October 2009. They were the 10th general elections held since Botswana's independence in 1966. Botswana's parliament has 61 seats, of which 57 are elected using a single-member district plurality system, meaning there are 57 constituencies, each...

, the party won no seats.

History

The party was formed in 1960 as the Bechuanaland People's Party under the leadership of K.T. Motsete and Philip Matante. The party's formation was indirectly stimulated by the flow of South African exiles following the Sharpeville massacre

Sharpeville massacre

The Sharpeville Massacre occurred on 21 March 1960, at the police station in the South African township of Sharpeville in the Transvaal . After a day of demonstrations, at which a crowd of black protesters far outnumbered the police, the South African police opened fire on the crowd, killing 69...

 in March 1960. The Party's structure was based on the African National Congress

African National Congress

The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...

 but it soon fell witness to in-fighting. The party soon became an opposition party to the traditionalist Botswana Democratic Party

Botswana Democratic Party

The Botswana Democratic Party is the governing conservative party in Botswana. Its chairman is Daniel Kwelagobe.BDP was shaped by Sir Seretse Khama, who is celebrated for nurturing the economic and political success of Botswana. The party's base is in the traditional Setswana communities, and it...

, led by Seretse Ian Khama.