President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s Botswana Democratic Occasion loses parliamentary majority in shock defeat.
Botswana’s governing social gathering has suffered a shock election defeat after almost six a long time in energy, preliminary election outcomes present.
President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s Botswana Democratic Occasion (BDP) misplaced its grip on energy on Friday after opposition events received 31 of 61 seats in parliament, tallies launched by the electoral fee confirmed.
The BDP, which has ruled the diamond-rich Southern African nation since 1966, had received just one seat as of early Friday morning.
Umbrella for Democratic Change, led by Harvard College-trained human rights lawyer Duma Boko, received 19 seats and the Botswana Congress Occasion, headed by economist Dumelang Saleshando, took seven, in line with the early tallies.
Botswana Patriotic Entrance, established by followers of former President Ian Khama after his exit from the BDP, secured 5 seats.
Underneath Botswana’s structure, the social gathering that holds a majority of parliamentary seats can select the president and type a authorities.
Masisi, a 63-year-old former highschool trainer and UNICEF employee, had been broadly anticipated to maintain his parliamentary majority and serve a second and closing time period.
Typically held up as considered one of Africa’s biggest success tales, Botswana ranks among the many wealthiest and most steady democracies on the continent.
However a world downturn in demand for mined diamonds, which account for greater than 80 p.c of the Southern African exports, has taken a toll on the financial system.
Financial progress is anticipated to gradual to 1 p.c in 2024, in line with the Worldwide Financial Fund, down from 2.3 p.c final yr and 5.5 p.c in 2022, whereas unemployment has risen to 27 p.c.
