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Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi concedes defeat
Gabarone, Botswana | THE INDEPENDENT & AGENCIES | President Mokgweetsi Masisi has conceded defeat after preliminary results showed his ruling Botswana Democratic party lost its parliamentary majority in this week’s election.
“I wish to congratulate the opposition on their victory and concede the election,” the 63-year-old told reporters at a press conference.
Preliminary results show three opposition parties had together amassed at least 31 of 61 seats in the national legislature at Wednesday’s polls.
Masisi’s party, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), has been in power since independence in 1966.
“I will respectfully step aside and participate in a smooth transition process ahead of inauguration,” Masisi said in a press conference on Friday.
BOTSWANA PRESIDENT-ELECT🇧🇼 pic.twitter.com/OitDi7a3jv
— Duma Boko (@duma_boko) November 1, 2024
Botswanans on Wednesday peacefully headed to polling stations to cast their ballots for new parliamentarians and local authorities.
This was a month after Botswana’s former President Ian Khama unexpectedly returned to the country after three years of self-imposed exile, appearing in court to face charges, including money laundering and owning illegal firearms.
The 71-year-old had only recently claimed there was a plot to poison him if he set foot on home soil.
The government called those allegations “outrageous”.
Supporters had last month chanted “the general is back” as Khama left the courthouse in the capital, Gaborone.
Ian Khama led Botswana for 10 years until 2018.
Despite speculation in the past year, Khana did not stand in this year’s election, in which his now bitter rival President Mokgweetsi Masisi was seeking a second term.
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
(CLICK TO READ) Botswana’s President Masisi fooled his master Ian Khama
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About 1.038 million people registered to vote in the 13th post-independence general elections.
According to the southern African country’s electoral law, the polling will determine 61 members of the National Assembly and 609 local councilors, with the party that holds at least 31 parliament seats to be declared as the winner.
The candidates were Mokgweetsi Masisi, Botswana’s incumbent president and leader of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party, Masisi’s main opponent, Duma Boko of the Umbrella for Democratic Change and Dumelang Saleshando of the Botswana Congress Party and Mephato Reatile of the Botswana Patriotic Front.
Botswana’s Independent Electoral Commission Spokesperson Osupile Maroba told journalists on election day in Gaborone that a few polling stations did not open on time.
“But the majority of polling stations, almost 99 percent of the more than 1,800 of them, opened well in time,” he said.
Polling stations closed at 7 p.m., after which counting of votes started ■
𝗕𝗢𝗧𝗦𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗔 𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗦 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗗𝗘𝗕𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦 pic.twitter.com/65yA2bF3Qy
— Office of the President| Republic of Botswana. (@BWPresidency) October 25, 2024
His Excellency Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Head of Mission for the African Union Commission Electoral Observation Mission (AUCEOM) to Botswana’s General Elections pay a courtesy call on President Dr. Masisi this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/sJkZQkkZ8W
— Office of the President| Republic of Botswana. (@BWPresidency) October 29, 2024
