Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi has been slapped with a shocking defeat after his ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), lost its hold on power for the first time in 58 years.
The defeat on Friday comes after opposition parties won at least 35 of 61 parliamentary seats, according to tallies released by the electoral commission.
The results are expected to be confirmed by the Independent Electoral Commission later on today.
More than one million people were registered to vote on Wednesday, from a population of 2.6 million, with concerns about unemployment and mismanagement in Masisi’s first term a leading complaint in the arid nation.
The BDP, which has governed the diamond-rich Southern African nation since 1966, had won only just one seat as of early Friday morning.
Umbrella for Democratic Change, led by Harvard University-trained human rights lawyer Duma Boko, won 22 seats and the Botswana Congress Party, headed by economist Dumelang Saleshando, took eight, according to the tallies.
Botswana Patriotic Front, established by followers of former President Ian Khama after his exit from the BDP, secured five seats.
Reports stated that as of 05.04 am, 1st November 2024, opposition parties have garnered more than half of the parliamentary seats, and the BDP has now officially lost state power.
Under Botswana’s constitution, the party that holds a majority of parliamentary seats can choose the president and form a government.
Opposition parties have gained more than half of the parliamentary seats. This means the governing Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has now officially lost the election.
Masisi, a 63-year-old former high school teacher and UNICEF worker, had been widely expected to keep his parliamentary majority and serve a second and final term.
Often held up as one of Africa’s greatest success stories, Botswana ranks among the wealthiest and most stable democracies on the continent.
But a global downturn in demand for mined diamonds, which account for more than 80 percent of the Southern African exports, has taken a toll on the economy.
Economic growth is expected to slow to 1 percent in 2024, according to the International Monetary Fund, down from 2.3 percent last year and 5.5 percent in 2022.
Unemployment has also risen to 27 percent, with an even greater share of young people out of work.
Before the vote, the BDP had acknowledged the need to diversify the economy, pledging to develop new drivers of growth such as agriculture and tourism.
Meanwhile, Botswana’s President Masisi said on Friday that he would step aside, right after his party suffered a loud defeat in the general elections, according to preliminary tallies.
“I wish to congratulate the opposition on their victory and concede the election,” Masisi said.
