People wait to cast their votes in the 2024 general elections in Morwa village near Gaborone, Botswana October 30, 2024. REUTERS/Thalefang Charles
GABORONE (Reuters) - Botswana's President Mokgweetsi Masisi on Friday conceded defeat after preliminary results showed his party had lost its parliamentary majority in this week's election, ending nearly six decades in power.
The private Mmegi newspaper and state radio reported that the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) had lost by a landslide, citing results from over half the constituencies.
The opposition coalition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) was leading, putting its leader, lawyer Duma Boko, on track to win the presidency. Boko has not yet publicly spoken.
"Although I wanted to stay on as your president, I respect the will of the people and I congratulate the president-elect. I will step aside and I will support the new administration," Masisi said at a press conference.
Analysts had said the election would be competitive, although the BDP had still been widely expected to prevail. It has ruled the southern African country of 2.3 million people since its independence from Britain in 1966.
Mmegi said based on results from 36 of the 61 constituencies up for grabs that opposition parties had won more than half the seats in parliament, which elects the president.
State radio had the same tally. It said out of the 36 constituencies so far the BDP had only won one. The UDC had won 25.
A party needs to win 31 constituencies to get a majority in this election.
Botswana has enjoyed stability and relative prosperity thanks to its diamond wealth and small population, which gets free healthcare and education. It is the world's top producer by value of the gem.
But a downturn in the diamond market has put a squeeze on revenues in the last few years, and the country has struggled to diversify its economy.
(Reporting by Brian Benza; Writing by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Alexander Winning, Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo and Sonali Paul)
