| Country: | Botswana |
| Type: | Legislative |
| Previous Election: | 1979 Botswana general election |
| Previous Year: | 1979 |
| Outgoing Members: | 4th Parliament of Botswana |
| Election Date: | 8 September 1984 |
| Next Election: | 1989 Botswana general election |
| Next Year: | 1989 |
| Elected Members: | 5th Parliament of Botswana |
| Seats For Election: | 34 of the 38 seats in the National Assembly |
| Majority Seats: | 18 |
| Registered: | 293,571 |
| Image1: | Quett Masire detail DF-SC-85-12044.JPEG |
| Leader1: | Quett Masire |
| Party1: | Botswana Democratic Party |
| Last Election1: | 75.17%, 29 seats |
| Seats1: | 29 |
| Leaders Seat1: | None |
| Popular Vote1: | 154,863 |
| Percentage1: | 68.00% |
| Swing1: | 7.17pp |
| Leader2: | Kenneth Koma |
| Party2: | Botswana National Front |
| Last Election2: | 13.00%, 2 seats |
| Seats2: | 4 |
| Leaders Seat2: | Gaborone South |
| Seat Change2: | 2 |
| Popular Vote2: | 46,550 |
| Percentage2: | 20.44% |
| Swing2: | 7.44pp |
| Image3: | BPP |
| Leader3: | Knight Maripe |
| Party3: | BPP |
| Leaders Seat3: | Sebina/Gweta |
| Last Election3: | 7.42%, 1 seat |
| Seats3: | 1 |
| Popular Vote3: | 14,961 |
| Percentage3: | 6.57% |
| Swing3: | 0.85pp |
| President | |
| Before Election: | Quett Masire |
| Before Party: | Botswana Democratic Party |
| After Election: | Quett Masire |
| After Party: | Botswana Democratic Party |
| Map Size: | 380px |
General elections were held in Botswana on 8 September 1984.[1] Although the result was a fifth successive landslide victory for the Botswana Democratic Party, which won 29 of the 34 elected seats, the elections saw the opposition Botswana National Front make gains, winning both seats in the capital Gaborone and take control of all urban councils except Selebi-Phikwe in the simultaneous local elections.
They were the last elections until 2004 in which there were uncontested seats.
Following the death of President Seretse Khama in 1980, the 1984 elections were the first contested with Quett Masire as leader of the BDP.
The 34 elected members of the National Assembly were elected in single-member constituencies, an increase of two from the 1979 elections. Following the 1981 census, constituencies were redrawn and Gaborone was split into two.
A total of 82 candidates contested the election as party representatives, with the BDP being the only party to contest all 34 seats. The Botswana National Front ran in 27 constituencies, the Botswana People's Party in 13, and the Botswana Independence Party and Botswana Progressive Union in four.[2]
The campaign was focussed on economic issues linked to the effect on the diamond industry of droughts and recession.[3]
Following the elections, Botswana National Front co-leader Kenneth Koma went to court to have the result in the Gaborone South constituency overturned; Koma had lost to Vice-President Peter Mmusi, but an unopened ballot box was discovered after the final count. The High Court annulled the result and a by-election was held in December in which Koma defeated Mmusi.[2]