Botswana's Ruling Party Aims to Extend Nearly Six-Decade Rule in Ongoing Election

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Slightly more than one million voters in Botswana went to the polls on Wednesday to elect new parliamentarians responsible for determining the country's next president.

On Wednesday, Botswana, a diamond-rich nation in Southern Africa, held its general election, with the ruling party aiming to extend its nearly six-decade governance and secure a second term for President Mokgweetsi Masisi.

Polling stations opened at 6:30 am (0430 GMT) for over a million registered voters. Four candidates are vying for the presidency in Botswana, the region’s oldest democracy, which gained independence from Britain in 1966 when the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) came to power.

“It is my time to voice my opinion. I can't wait,” said Lone Kobe, a 38-year-old who had been waiting in line since 3:15 am at a Gaborone school serving as a polling station. "I would like to experience a new Botswana. We are seeing a percentage of the population enjoying the benefits. We are just the spectators, like we are watching a movie,” she added, wrapped in a light blanket.

“We want to see true democracy, transparency, and a free and fair election,” said Muthisi Kemo, a 56-year-old unemployed voter who arrived three hours before the station opened. He expressed concerns over irregularities allegedly favoring the ruling party in the Independent Electoral Authority (IEC), echoing opposition allegations leading up to the election.

"It's an open secret,” he said, referencing issues opposition groups raised about the IEC, including its refusal to share a digital voter roll and reports of ballot shortages during early voting for public officials.

Botswana’s 27% unemployment rate and a weakening economy have been central voter concerns in this election, alongside claims of government corruption and mismanagement. The ruling party attributes economic difficulties to the COVID-19 pandemic, which impacted diamond demand and revenue.

Masisi, an energetic 63-year-old, held a final campaign rally late on Tuesday with approximately 400 supporters in the capital, where he promised to “polish” initiatives he started in his first term if re-elected.

Queen Mosiane, 34, attended the rally, expressing loyalty to the BDP, which she credits for supporting her through state-covered education and healthcare after becoming an orphan. “We live peacefully in this country because of BDP,” she said. “It’s not time to change because we don’t know what we are inviting.”

Refile Kutlwano, a 34-year-old civil servant, echoed this sentiment. “The opportunities that we find, and our kids are going to find in the future, are because of the BDP,” she said. “The opposition is not ready to rule.”

Masisi won in 2019 with around 52% of the vote. Although the ruling party is not anticipated to gain much more support, the opposition remains divided.

The primary opposition group, the left-leaning Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), is led by 54-year-old human rights lawyer Duma Boko. However, the UDC’s strength diminished when the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) and Botswana Congress Party (BCP) exited the alliance to field their own presidential candidates.

This division disheartened young voters like 23-year-old Ookeditse Letshwenyo, an IT start-up founder who sees the UDC as a chance for young people struggling with unemployment. “Since our independence, we've been ruled by the same people, with the same mindset, with the same goals,” Letshwenyo said. “You can't win against the BDP while you are divided.”

The return of former president Ian Khama, who recently ended a three-year self-imposed exile to campaign against Masisi, added some momentum to the opposition, though analysts suggest his influence remains limited to certain districts.

With 61 seats available in parliament, Botswana’s first-past-the-post system means that the first party to secure 31 seats will win and appoint its presidential candidate. Polling stations are scheduled to close at 7 pm local time (1700 GMT) on Wednesday, with counting beginning shortly after and results expected late on Thursday.