Botswana opposition wins election in historic turnaround

Botswana opposition wins election in historic turnaround

Botswana has been governed by the same party since independence from Britain in 1966

Botswana's opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) has won a majority in parliament and can form the next government, the electoral commission announced Friday, marking a historic defeat for the party that had governed the diamond-rich country for nearly six decades.

Outgoing president Mokgweetsi Masisi conceded defeat in Wednesday's general election and said his administration would begin handing over the reins of government in the next few days.

"The UDC has reached the minimum requirement to be declared the next government," Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) spokesperson Osupile Maroba told AFP. 

The UDC needed 31 seats out of 61 to govern alone and its results combined with those of two other opposition parties had already reached that target earlier Friday.

It meant that Masisi's Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) -- in power since independence from Britain in 1966 -- had no chance of winning enough seats to remain in power.

The IEC is expected to confirm final results later in the day.

UDC leader Duma Boko, 54, a Harvard-educated human rights lawyer, who is expected to be the next president, praised the peaceful handover as an example of democracy in action.

"What has happened today takes our democracy to a higher level," he told the independent Mmegi newspaper.

"It now means we have seen a successful, peaceful, orderly democratic transition from one regime to the next and this happened in full view of every citizen of this country with their full participation and endorsement."

The defeat was a major blow for the BDP and Masisi, 63, who was elected in 2018 and had been confident of securing a second term.

"We got it wrong big time in the eyes of the people," Masisi conceded. 

"We were really convinced of our message. But every indication, by any measure, is that there's no way that I can pretend that we're going to form a government."

"I will respectfully step aside and participate in a smooth and transparent transition process ahead of inauguration," he said.

Unemployment and mismanagement topped concerns among the more than one million registered voters, out of a population of 2.6 million.

- 'New dawn' -

It was the third run at the presidency for the self-confident and spruce Boko, who established the UDC in 2012 to unite opposition groups against the bulwark of the BDP.

"CHANGE IS HERE," he wrote on Facebook as the alliance's strong showing became clear, with small street celebrations breaking out in parts of the capital Gaborone early Friday.  

"Botswana's new dawn as Boko, UDC rise," the Mmegi outlet wrote on Facebook. "BDP faces crushing parliamentary, council defeat," it added.

The UDC also swept a separate ballot for local councils.

A key concern for voters was unemployment which has risen to 27 percent this year and a slump in the economy due in part to weakened diamond sales, Botswana's single biggest revenue earner.

Growth is projected to slow to one percent this year.

There have also been allegations of corruption, nepotism and mismanagement by Masisi's government, while the gap between the rich and poor is one of the largest in the world, according to the World Bank.

"We are expecting more from this new Botswana," said cleaner, Pelontle Ditshotlo, 41. 

The BDP had not delivered on its promises and the cost of living is too high, she said. 

"When you are in parliament, we need to know that you listen to us, you are with us."

The new government will need to focus on weaning the country off its diamond dependency, stabilise the economy and create new jobs, especially for young people, independent political commentator Olopeng Rabasimane said.

"For us it's a big change. It's a relief," said Sandy Mlotshwa, 22, a waiter. 

"I want to see if the new system that comes in will make a change for us. If not, then we're going to change it again."

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Originally published as Botswana opposition wins election in historic turnaround