Seismic changes in Botswana: Party that has ruled for 58 years since independence loses power

GABORONE, Botswana (AP) — Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi conceded defeat in a general election Friday, a watershed moment of change for the country that ended the ruling party’s 58 years in power since independence from Britain in the 1960s.

Masisi’s concession was made before final results were announced, with his Botswana Democratic Party finishing fourth in the parliamentary elections in what appeared to be a humiliating rejection by voters.

The main opposition Umbrella of Democratic Change party held a comfortable lead in partial results, making its candidate Duma Boko the favorite to become president of the southern African country, which is one of the world’s biggest diamond producers.

Masisi said he called Boko to tell him he was admitting defeat and said Boko was now effectively the elected president.

Final results are expected to be announced later on Friday.

“I recognize the elections,” Masisi said at a morning press conference two days after the vote. “I am proud of our democratic processes. While I wanted to seek re-election, I will respectfully step aside and participate in a smooth transition process.”

“I look forward to attending the upcoming inauguration and cheering on my successor. He’ll love my support.”

Masisi’s BDP has dominated Botswana politics for nearly six decades since independence in 1966. The nation of just 2.5 million people will now be governed by a different party for the first time in its democratic history.

According to the official partial tally, the Umbrella of Democratic Change has so far won 25 of the 61 voter-determined parliamentary seats. To obtain a majority, 31 votes are needed. The Botswana Congress Party has seven seats, the Botswana Patriotic Front has five seats and the ruling BDP has only three.

“We lost this election big time,” Masisi said.

Botswana is considered one of Africa’s most stable democracies, with an economy largely dependent on diamonds. Botswana is the second largest producer of natural diamonds in the world after Russia.

But the mood for change was evident as the slump in global demand for diamonds severely impacted Botswana’s economy, with unemployment rising to more than 27% this year and significantly higher among youth as the government saw a sharp decline in diamond revenues. . Masisi and his party have been criticized for not doing enough to diversify the economy, and the country has been forced to embrace recent austerity measures.

Even the BJP, throughout its campaign, recognized the need for policy changes and tried to convince voters that it could lead the country out of its economic woes. Diamonds account for more than 80% of Botswana’s exports and a quarter of its GDP, according to the World Bank.

Masisi said the country had sold almost no diamonds through its company Debswana, which the government jointly owns with diamond miner De Beers, since April.

General elections in Botswana determine the composition of Parliament, and then legislators choose the president. The party that receives the majority has the right to choose its candidate for the presidency. All five presidents of Botswana since independence have been from the BDP.

Doko is a 54-year-old lawyer who also contested elections in 2014 and 2019. On his official X page, he posted the message “Botswana First” with an image of a UDC election poster that read “Change is here.”

The BDP was one of the oldest parties in Africa still in power and its sharp defeat came as a surprise after what had been expected to be a tight race.

Masisi, a 63-year-old former secondary school teacher and UNICEF official, said he didn’t expect the results and “didn’t bring shoes with me.”

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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s name.

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AP Africa News: https://apnews.com/hub/africa