Botswana's president concedes defeat in election; ruling party's 58 years in power end

GABORONE, Botswana — 

Botswana's President Mokgweetsi Masisi conceded decision successful the wide predetermination Friday, successful a seismic infinitesimal of alteration for the region that ended the ruling party's 58 years successful power.

Masisi's concession came earlier last results were announced, with his Botswana Democratic Party trailing successful 4th spot successful the parliamentary elections.

The main absorption Umbrella for Democratic Change held a beardown pb successful the partial results, making its candidate, Duma Boko, the favourite to go president of a confederate African state that is 1 of the world's biggest producers of mined diamonds.

Masisi said helium had called Boko to pass him helium was conceding defeat.

"I concede the election," Masisi said successful an aboriginal greeting quality league 2 days aft the election. "I americium arrogant of our antiauthoritarian processes. Although I wanted a 2nd term, I volition respectfully measurement speech and enactment successful a creaseless modulation process."

"I look guardant to attending the coming inauguration and cheering connected my successor. He volition bask my support."

Masisi's BDP dominated authorities successful Botswana for astir six decades, since independency from Britain successful 1966. The federation of conscionable 2.5 cardinal radical volition present beryllium governed by different enactment for the archetypal clip successful its antiauthoritarian history.

Botswana has been held up arsenic 1 of Africa's astir unchangeable democracies, with its system mostly relying connected diamonds. Botswana is the world's 2nd biggest earthy diamond shaper down Russia.

But the temper for alteration was evident arsenic a downturn successful the planetary request for diamonds severely impacted Botswana's economy, with unemployment rising to much than 27% this twelvemonth arsenic the authorities saw a crisp alteration successful gross from diamonds. Masisi and his enactment had faced disapproval for not having done capable to diversify the economy.

Doko is simply a 54-year-old lawyer who besides contested elections successful 2014 and 2019.