Botswana votes with ruling party aiming to extend six decades of power

Botswana votes with ruling party aiming to extend six decades of power


A voter casts his ballot at the Philip Moshotle Primary School polling station in Gaborone on October 30, 2024 during Botswana's general election.

A voter casts his ballot at the Philip Moshotle Primary School polling station in Gaborone on October 30, 2024 during Botswana’s general election. , Photo courtesy: AFP

The southern African diamond-rich nation of Botswana went to the polls in general elections on Wednesday (Oct 30, 2024), with the ruling party seeking to extend its nearly six-decade rule and hand President Mokgweetsi Masisi a second term.

Voting began at 6.30 a.m. (0430 GMT) for more than a million people registered to vote, with four presidential candidates in the race to lead the region’s oldest democracy since independence from Britain in 1966. Was established when the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) took over. ,

“It is time for me to express my opinion. I can’t wait,” said Lon Kobbe, 38, who had been standing in line since 3.15am at a polling station at a school in Gaborone.

“I would like to experience a new Botswana. We are seeing that one percent of the population is taking advantage. We are just spectators, as if we are watching a movie,” said the self-employed woman with a light blanket draped over her shoulders.

“We want to see true democracy, transparency and free and fair elections,” said Muthisi Kemo, a 56-year-old unemployed man who arrived three hours before the polling station opened.

Reiterating the opposition’s claims ahead of the elections, he said there were irregularities in the functioning of the Independent Electoral Authority (IEC) in favor of the ruling party. “It’s an open secret.”

Opposition groups have been critical of the IEC, including for its failure to share digital versions of voter rolls and the lack of early voting ballots for public officials.

The unemployment rate has reached 27% amid a weak economy, which has been one of the major concerns of voters ahead of the election, along with claims of government corruption and mismanagement.

But the ruling party points to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy, with weak demand for diamonds also hitting revenues.

The energetic Mr Masisi, 63, held a final campaign rally with about 400 cheering supporters in the capital late on Tuesday, saying he wanted to use his second term to “polish up” what he had achieved in his first five years. Had started.

Queen Mosiane, 34, said at the rally that she was loyal to the party because the party’s government had supported her when she was orphaned, including education and health care covered by the state.

“We live peacefully in this country because of the BDP,” he said. “This is not the time to change because we don’t know what we are inviting.”

“The opportunities that we and our children are going to have in the future are because of the BDP,” said 34-year-old civil servant Refaille Kutelwano at the same rally. “The opposition is not ready to govern.”

fragmented opposition

Mr Massey was elected in 2019 with about 52% of the vote. Although the party is not expecting much better performance this time, the opposition is scattered.

The main opposition coalition is the left-leaning Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), led by Duma Boko, 54, a young human rights lawyer.

It lost two key members ahead of the vote with the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) and the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) leaving the party and each fielding their own presidential candidates.

This was a blow to voters like 23-year-old Okedits Letshwenyo, who saw the UDC as providing opportunities to youth struggling to find work.

“Since our independence we have been ruled by the same people, with the same mentality, with the same goals,” said Mr Letshwenyo, who launched an IT start-up. “As long as you are divided, you cannot win against the BDP,” he said.

While the surprise return of previous President Ian Khama to campaign against Mr Masisi six weeks before his three-year self-imposed exile gave the opposition some energy, analysts said his influence was limited to a few districts.

With 61 seats in Parliament, Botswana’s first-past-the-post system means that the first party to take 31 seats will be declared the winner and its candidate installed as president.

Counting will begin a few hours after polling stations close at 7 pm (1700 GMT) on Wednesday (October 30, 2024) and the results will be declared on Thursday (October 30, 2024).



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