Botswana’s President, Mokgweetsi Masisi on Friday, bowed to defeat after a shock election result that saw his Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) lose by a landslide after 58 years in power.
Masisi’s concession came even before the final results were announced.
Analysts attributed mounting socio-economic grievances, especially among youths in the diamond-rich Southern African country, for the party’s downfall.
The president-elect is 54-year-old lawyer Duma Boko, leader of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) coalition which passed the 31-seat threshold needed to secure a majority in parliament, according to results released on state television.
“We got it wrong big time in the eyes of the people,” Masisi said in Gaborone, the country’s capital city.
“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.”
The president, who was seeking a second five-year term in Wednesday’s election, said he would “step aside”.
“I will respectfully step aside and participate in a smooth transition process ahead of inauguration.
“I am proud of our democratic processes and I respect the will of the people,” Masisi said.
Masisi congratulated the UDC but the results are expected to be confirmed by the electoral commission on Friday.
More than one million people were registered to vote from a population of 2.6 million, with concerns about unemployment and resource mismanagement in Masisi’s first term.
