The ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has been declared winner of the this month’s general election.
BDP secured 29 national assembly seats, representing 51% of the vote, according to the chief justice who announced the results on Friday.
The main opposition, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), secured 13 seats. The Botswana Patriotic Front won three and the Alliance for Progressive only one.
73% of the voting districts have been counted so far with some still left to be covered.
Since his ruling party secured majority of seats in the 57 national assembly, President Mokgweetsi Masisi has now won another five-year term as president.
Chief Justice Terrence Rannowane said “Although vote counting is still ongoing, the numbers of parliament seats attained so far by the BDP obliges me to declare Mokgweetsi Masisi as the elected president of Botswana.”
The election was seen as a major test for the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) which has been in power for the past five decades.
Coming into the election, incumbent President Mokgweetsi Masisi could not secure the support of his predecessor, Ian Khama.
Botswana is one of southern Africa’s wealthiest and most stable nations but still has a major task of transforming its economy further.
The former President backed the opposition coalition led by Gaborone lawyer Gideon Duma Boko.
Diamond has been the backbone of Botswana’s economy but mining has fallen to a fifth of GDP in 2018.
Growing the economy further and providing jobs for the many unemployed youth is now a priority for Masisi’s new government.
Source: Africafeeds.com
