Reuters
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botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi conceded defeat on Friday after preliminary results showed his party overwhelmingly lost its parliamentary majority in elections this week, ending nearly six decades in power.

With more than half of the constituencies reporting, opposition coalition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) put leading lawyer Duma Boko on track to win the presidency by a significant margin.

Analysts said rising socio-economic woes, especially among young people, were a sign of the collapse of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which has governed the tiny southern African state since independence from Britain in 1966.

Botswana has been heavily dependent on diamonds for income, but the downturn in the global diamond market has caused economic growth to fall this year, while unemployment has risen to 28%.

State television showed that the UDC won 26 seats in parliament, while the BDP won only three seats, according to results from 41 of 61 constituencies. Members of parliament elect the president.

Boko, who has not yet made a public statement since the result, had campaigned on issues such as increasing the minimum wage and increasing social assistance.

“Although I want to remain your president, I respect the will of the people and congratulate the next president. “I will step aside and support the new administration,” Masisi said at a press conference.

The capital, Gaborone, was quiet on Friday morning, with small groups of opposition supporters celebrating in the streets.

“I never thought I would witness this change in my life,” said 23-year-old student Mpho Mogorosi. “BDP has been in power for too long and I am proud to be part of the people who removed them for a better Botswana.”

BDP became the second party that has been in power in South Africa for a long time and was defeated in the elections this year. of south africa The African National Congress also lost its parliamentary majority after 30 years in power and had to form a coalition government.

Elections will be held in neighboring Namibia at the end of this month, and the SWAPO party, which has been in power since 1990, is expected to face a tough test.

“The outcome of Botswana’s elections should serve as a warning to long-ruling parties in South Africa and beyond that political dominance will be undermined without economic progress and employment opportunities,” said Zaynab Hoosen, an Africa analyst at Pangea-Risk.