After 58 Years, a Huge Change in Botswana

Botswana's President Mokgweetsi Masisi conceded defeat in the general election Friday, in a seismic moment of change for the country that ended the ruling party's 58 years in power since independence from Britain in the 1960s. Masisi's concession came before final results were announced, with his Botswana Democratic Party trailing in fourth place in the parliamentary elections in what appeared to be a humbling rejection by voters and a landslide victory for the main opposition party, the AP reports. "We lost this election massively," Masisi said.

• The opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change held an overwhelming lead in the partial results, making its candidate, Duma Boko, the favorite to become president of the southern African country, one of the world's biggest producers of mined diamonds.

• Masisi said he had called Boko to inform him he was conceding defeat and said that Boko was now effectively the president-elect. Final results were expected to be announced later Friday, but the BDP had no path to a majority.
• "I concede the election," Masisi said in an early-morning press conference two days after the vote. "I am proud of our democratic processes. Although I wanted a second term, I will respectfully step aside and participate in a smooth transition process. Masisi added: "I look forward to attending the coming inauguration and cheering on my successor. He will enjoy my support."
• Masisi's BDP dominated politics in Botswana for nearly six decades, since independence in 1966. The nation of just 2.5 million people will now be governed by another party for the first time in its democratic history.

• Botswana has been held up as one of Africa's most stable democracies and is regarded as a post-colonial success story having built one of the highest standards of living in the region through an economy that largely relies on diamonds. Botswana is the world's second biggest natural diamond producer behind Russia and has been responsible for all the biggest diamonds found in the last decade.
• 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.

(More Botswana stories.)