GABORONE: Botswana‘s President Mokgweetsi Masisi conceded defeat within the normal election Friday, in a seismic second of change for the nation that ended the ruling occasion’s 58 years in energy since independence from Britain within the Sixties.
Masisi’s concession got here earlier than closing outcomes have been introduced, together with his Botswana Democratic Celebration trailing in fourth place within the parliamentary elections in what gave the impression to be a humbling rejection by voters and a landslide victory for the principle opposition occasion.
The opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change held an awesome lead within the partial outcomes, making its candidate, Duma Boko, the favourite to grow to be president of a southern African nation that is among the world’s largest producers of mined diamonds.
Masisi stated he had referred to as Boko to tell him he was conceding defeat and stated that Boko was now successfully the president-elect.
Ultimate outcomes have been anticipated to be introduced later Friday, however the BDP had no path to a majority.
“I concede the election,” Masisi stated in an early-morning press convention two days after the vote. “I’m happy with our democratic processes. Though I needed a second time period, I’ll respectfully step apart and take part in a clean transition course of.”
“I look ahead to attending the approaching inauguration and cheering on my successor. He’ll take pleasure in my assist.”
Masisi’s BDP dominated politics in Botswana for almost six many years, since independence in 1966. The nation of simply 2.5 million individuals will now be ruled by one other occasion for the primary time in its democratic historical past.
Thus far, the Umbrella for Democratic Change has received 25 out of the 61 parliamentary seats determined by voters, in line with the official partial rely. It wants 31 to clinch a majority. The Botswana Congress Celebration has seven seats, the Botswana Patriotic Entrance 5 seats, and the ruling BDP simply three.
“We misplaced this election massively,” Masisi stated.
Botswana has been held up as certainly one of Africa’s most secure democracies and is considered a post-colonial success story having constructed one of many highest requirements of dwelling within the area by way of an financial system that largely depends on diamonds. Botswana is the world’s second largest pure diamond producer behind Russia and has been answerable for all the largest diamonds discovered within the final decade.
However Botswana faces new challenges and the temper for change grew to become evident as a downturn within the international demand for diamonds badly impacted the financial system, changing into the central challenge for the marketing campaign.
Unemployment rose to greater than 27% this yr, and considerably larger for younger individuals, as the federal government noticed a pointy lower in income from diamonds. Masisi and his occasion had confronted criticism for not having performed sufficient to diversify the financial system and the nation has been compelled to undertake current austerity measures.
Even the BDP conceded all through its marketing campaign that coverage change was wanted and tried to persuade voters it was able to main the nation out of its financial troubles. Diamonds account for greater than 80% of Botswana’s exports and 1 / 4 of its GDP, in line with the World Financial institution.
Masisi stated the nation had hardly offered any diamonds since April by way of its Debswana firm, which the federal government collectively owns with diamond miner De Beers.
Botswana’s normal elections determine the make-up of its Parliament, and lawmakers then select the president. The occasion that good points a majority is in place to decide on its candidate as president. All 5 of Botswana’s post-independence presidents have been from the BDP.
Boko is a 54-year-old lawyer and Harvard Regulation Faculty graduate who additionally ran in 2014 and 2019. He posted on his official web page on X: “Botswana First” with an image of a UDC marketing campaign poster with the phrases “Change is Right here.”
The BDP was one of many longest-serving events in Africa nonetheless in energy and its sharp defeat got here as a shock after what was anticipated to be a decent race. It adopted an equally momentous change in neighboring South Africa, the place the long-ruling African Nationwide Congress misplaced its 30-year majority in an election in Could and was compelled to share energy for the primary time in a coalition authorities.
Masisi, a 63-year-old former highschool instructor and UNICEF worker, stated he had not anticipated the outcomes and had “not packed a shoe.”
