The President of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi has said he will step aside after his party, lost in Wednesday’s election.
Masisi’s concession even before the final results were announced shows his Botswana Democratic Party, BDP trailing in fourth place.
At an early morning press conference, he announced that his second term bid had come to an end.
“I wish to congratulate the opposition on their victory and concede defeat in the election,”
He added that he had called the leader of the biggest opposition party, the Umbrella for Democratic Change UDC, Duma Boko.
The results are expected to be confirmed by the electoral commission later on Friday, but early counts showed that three opposition parties had together won at least 31 of 61 Parliamentary seats.
Under Botswana’s electoral system, the first party to take 31 seats will be declared the winner and install its candidate as president and then form a government.
The BDP has ruled the Southern African nation since 1966.
(Source- Reuters)
Editor Paul Akhagbemhe
