Botswana elections: Ruling party seeks to extend 58 years in power

Botswana Democratic Party remains a favourite contempt dilatory economical maturation caused by declining request for diamonds.

Botswana is voting successful a wide election in which President Mokgweetsi Masisi is seeking a 2nd word and his ruling enactment hopes to widen its astir six decades successful power.

Masisi, 63, is competing against 3 challengers connected Wednesday for different five-year term. His Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) – which has governed the state of 2.3 cardinal radical for 58 years, since independency from British regularisation successful 1966 – remains the favourite contempt its decreasing popularity.

The BDP faces a divided absorption with its biggest situation coming from the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), a conjugation led by lawyer Duma Boko.

Also moving for president are Dumelang Saleshando of the Botswana Congress Party and Mephato Reatile from the Botswana Patriotic Front.

The BDP – among Africa’s longest ruling parties – retains a bulk successful parliament, having won 38 of 57 contested seats successful 2019.

Botswana is considered to beryllium 1 of the astir unchangeable countries successful Africa, but it is facing economical challenges due to the fact that of the planetary downturn successful the request for diamonds, which it relies on. It is the 2nd biggest shaper of diamonds aft Russia.

The state has struggled to diversify its economy. Unemployment has risen to 27 percent this twelvemonth and is importantly higher for young people.

An predetermination poster of President Mokgweetsi Masisi successful Gaborone, Botswana [Themba Hadebe/AP Photo]

The BDP says it has listened to the concerns of voters and volition prosecute caller gross streams specified arsenic processing mineral resources and processing the agriculture and tourism sectors.

One of its run slogans has been “Changing Together, Building Prosperity”.

Polls opened astatine 6:30am (04:30 GMT) for much than 1 cardinal radical registered to vote. The predetermination volition find the constitution of parliament, and lawmakers volition aboriginal elite the president.

‘New Botswana’

“We are acrophobic astir issues of employment and wage structures,” Karabo Manguba, a 29-year-old income enforcement astatine a vigor presumption told The Associated Press quality agency. “Voting is simply a patriotic effort, … and our voices request to beryllium heard.”

Another voter, 38-year-old Lone Kobe, told the AFP quality agency: “It is my clip to dependable my opinion. I can’t wait. … I would similar to acquisition a caller Botswana. We are seeing a percent of the colonisation enjoying the benefits.”

Masisi came to powerfulness successful 2018 done a planned modulation aft his predecessor Ian Khama served the maximum 10 years successful office. He kept the occupation aft a 2019 predetermination won by the BDP.

He managed to negociate a caller declaration with diamond giant, the De Beers Group, to springiness Botswana a greater stock of its unsmooth diamonds.

Diamonds relationship for much than 80 percent of Botswana’s exports and a 4th of the gross home merchandise (GDP), according to the World Bank.

But Masisi acknowledged the downturn successful the market.

“Our diamonds person not been selling since April so, yes, our revenues are down, but the economical fundamentals inactive stay intact,” helium said astatine a statesmanlike statement past week.

Sales of unsmooth diamonds astatine Debswana, the institution the authorities jointly owns with De Beers, were down astir 50 percent successful the archetypal fractional of 2024, according to the authorities.

Masisi besides lifted a ban connected elephant hunting, which helium lauded arsenic benefitting agrarian communities, and instated an import prohibition connected immoderate nutrient items to assistance farmers.

Opponents vying for change

The absorption says the BDP has been successful powerfulness for excessively agelong and impeach it of economical mismanagement and corruption, which it denies.

“It is not acceptable that a state specified arsenic ours, which is the 5th richest per capita successful Africa, inactive has truthful galore radical surviving successful poverty,” the UDC’s Boko said astatine the debate.

The UDC has pledged to much than treble the minimum wage from 1,500 pula ($112) per period to 4,000 pula ($300) if it wins.

Umbrella for Democratic Change supporters astatine a rally successful Tlokweng, eastbound of Gaborone [File: Thalefang Charles/Reuters]

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies