But Botswana faces new challenges and the mood for change became evident as a downturn in the global demand for diamonds badly impacted the economy, becoming the central issue for the campaign.
Unemployment rose to more than 27% this year, and significantly higher for young people, as the government saw a sharp decrease in revenue from diamonds. Masisi and his party had faced criticism for not having done enough to diversify the economy and the nation has been forced to adopt recent austerity measures.
Even the BDP conceded throughout its campaign that policy change was needed and tried to convince voters it was capable of leading the country out of its economic troubles. Diamonds account for more than 80% of Botswana’s exports and a quarter of its GDP, according to the World Bank.
Masisi said the country had hardly sold any diamonds since April through its Debswana company, which the government jointly owns with diamond miner De Beers.
Botswana’s general elections decide the makeup of its Parliament, and lawmakers then choose the president. The party that gains a majority is in position to choose its candidate as president. All five of Botswana’s post-independence presidents have been from the BDP.
Boko is a 54-year-old lawyer and Harvard Law School graduate who also ran in 2014 and 2019. He posted on his official page on X: “Botswana First” with a picture of a UDC campaign poster with the words “Change is Here.”
The BDP was one of the longest-serving parties in Africa still in power and its sharp defeat came as a surprise after what was expected to be a tight race. It followed an equally momentous change in neighboring South Africa, where the long-ruling African National Congress lost its 30-year majority in an election in May and was forced to share power for the first time in a coalition government.
Masisi, a 63-year-old former high school teacher and UNICEF employee, said he had not expected the results and had “not packed a shoe.”
