Asked about the possibility of this after voting in his hometown of Moshupa, about 60 kilometers west of the capital Gaborone, Masisi told reporters: “I don’t want the parliament to be suspended. But elsewhere, if that happens, the parties will negotiate.”

Acknowledging concerns about the decline in Botswana’s foreign exchange reserves and weakening international diamond sales, he said the government would increase local investment as a countermeasure.

“We aim to solve this problem by putting money in citizens’ pockets and building infrastructure,” Masisi said.

He also told election observers from Zimbabwe’s ruling party that “victory is certain”.

At the same small ballot box, 57-year-old unemployed Mompati Seekano said: “The BDP government has done great things for this country. President Masisi should be given the right to a second term.”

– Fragmented opposition –

Khumo Mase, 21, a first-time voter in Gaborone, said many young people, who make up about 40 percent of the population, decided not to vote because they believed the system was rigged to keep the BDP in office.

He said the opposition was also “inconsistent”. “We only hear about these during election times, but the ruling party always shows that it is there.”

Three presidential candidates are opposing Masisi, but the opposition is fragmented and lacks campaign resources.