Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi has conceded defeat following preliminary election results indicating his party, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), has lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in nearly six decades.
According to reports from Botswana’s Mmegi newspaper and state radio, the opposition coalition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) is leading significantly, with results from over half the constituencies showing a landslide victory.
The UDC’s leader, Duma Boko, is positioned to become the new president, although he has yet to make a public statement. Masisi addressed the nation, saying, “I respect the will of the people and congratulate the president-elect. I will step aside and support the new administration.”
Botswana, known for its diamond wealth and stable governance since gaining independence from Britain in 1966, now faces an economic shift due to recent downturns in the diamond market. The election outcome reflects growing public demand for change as the country seeks to diversify its economy beyond diamond production.
