- Activist Duma Boko Floors Mokgweetsi Masisi
By Abiola Olawale
In a landmark development, the ruling party in Botswana, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) lost the 2024 presidential election in the Country.
The ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) faced a historic defeat, marking the end of an uninterrupted 58 years of single-party rule that began after the nation gained independence in 1966.
A remarkable shift led to substantial swings toward opposition parties, causing the BDP to plummet to fourth place, according to the official results.
In a stunning turnout, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) emerged triumphant, securing an absolute majority of the votes with Duma Boko as Botswana’s President-elect.
Meanwhile, the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) claimed the second position, earning the title of the official opposition party.
Boko is now expected to replace President Mokgweetsi Masisi, who on Friday conceded defeat after he lost by a landslide for the first time in 58 years.
He said: “From tomorrow… I will start the process of handover.
“You can count on me to always be there to provide whatever guidance you might want … We will retreat to being a loyal opposition.”
Meanwhile, analysts attributed the decline of the BDP to escalating economic discontent, especially among the youth.
According to analysts, the grievances, fueled by rising unemployment and limited opportunities, had sparked a sense of frustration and disillusionment among younger generations, ultimately challenging the longstanding dominance of the BDP in Botswana’s political landscape.
The New Diplomat reports that BDP becomes the second long-ruling party in southern Africa to suffer a defeat at the polls this year after South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) also lost its parliamentary majority following 30 years in power and was forced to form a coalition government.
