Botswana: Mokgweetsi Masisi re-elected as his Botswana Democratic Party wins majority

AP | Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi will remain in office after his ruling party won enough parliament seats in this week’s election, the country’s chief justice announced Friday.

The final results were not yet complete but Chief Justice Terence Rannowane said the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) won the needed 29 seats in the National Assembly.

The long-peaceful, diamond-rich southern African nation had faced its tightest election in history after former President Ian Khama broke away and announced his support for an opposition coalition instead. Khama hand-picked Masisi as his successor when he stepped down last year after 2 terms but was annoyed when Masisi moved away from some of his policies.

Many had wondered whether the ruling party would be toppled for the first time since independence in 1966.

But the opposition coalition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) was well behind Friday with a dozen seats as counting neared an end.

Observers said Wednesday’s election went smoothly in one of Africa’s most stable countries. Turnout was not immediately clear. Botswana has 925,000 registered voters in a population of 2.2 million.

Some in Botswana thought the election would hinge on whether people supported Khama’s rejection of his own party and some criticized the former president of trying to extend his influence.