Botswana’s ruling party has been voted out of power after ruling the African country for almost six decades.
According to tallies released by the county’s electoral commission the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) trailing in fourth place.
President Mokgweetsi Masisi has therefore conceded defeat as preliminary results showed his governing party lost its parliamentary majority.
Masisi’s concession on Friday came before the final results were announced, with his Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).
“We got it wrong big time in the eyes of the people,” Masisi told a news conference in the capital, Gaborone.
“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.”
President to step down
President Masisi who was seeking a second five-year term in Wednesday’s election, said he would “step aside”.
“I wish to congratulate the opposition on their victory and concede the election,” Masisi said.
The results are expected to be confirmed by the electoral commission later on Friday.
Under the country’s electoral system, the first party to take 31 of 61 seats in the legislature will be declared the winner, install its candidate as president and form a government.
The BDP has governed the diamond-rich Southern African nation since 1966 and was expected to win.
The main opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) held a strong lead in the partial results, making its leader, Duma Boko, the likely candidate for president.
UDC had already secured 25 seats, according to the official partial count, and was aiming to reach 31 seats to become the outright winner and hand the presidency to human rights lawyer Boko.
Boko, 54, created the UDC in 2012 to unite opposition groups against the BDP.
It is the third time that he has run for president, previously contesting in 2014 and 2019.
Street celebrations are under way in parts of Gaborone.
Source: Africafeeds.com
