Botswana holds a national election on Oct. 30, with President Mokgweetsi Masisi seeking a second term in a race against three challengers. His party, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), has governed Botswana since independence from Britain in 1966.
Voters elect National Assembly members, who then pick the president. Here are some facts about the candidates:
MOKGWEETSI MASISI: Botswana Democratic Party
Masisi has been president since 2018 when he ascended to the post after serving as vice president under predecessor Ian Khama. He retained the presidency when his BDP party won the 2019 election.
The 63-year-old is a former schoolteacher who worked for U.N. children’s agency UNICEF before entering politics. During his first term he contended with high unemployment and lower growth due to declining global demand for diamonds, which Botswana’s economy relies on.
Masisi gained support last year for negotiating a new sales deal with De Beers that will give the country a bigger share of its diamond wealth, although opponents say he has not done enough to diversify the economy and create jobs. He fell out with Khama, who accuses him of authoritarianism and is backing an opposition party, the Botswana Patriotic Front.
DUMA BOKO: Umbrella for Democratic Change
Duma Boko, 54, a lawyer, is running for the third time as leader of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), an opposition coalition that came second in 2019 and remains the BDP’s biggest challenge. In his party manifesto, Boko proposes increasing the government’s role in the economy to achieve social development and sustainable growth. Boko’s party challenged the last election as fraudulent at the High Court, which dismissed the case.
DUMELANG SALESHANDO: Botswana Congress Party
Dumelang Saleshando, 53, is leader of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP). The BCP was founded in 1998 and has won between 10%-20% of votes in past elections. Saleshando took over from his father in 2010 as BCP party leader. The party describes itself as having social democratic principles and is campaigning with the motto “Save Botswana”. His party quit the UDC coalition in 2023, complaining of internal dysfunction, in a blow to the opposition’s chances.
MEPHATO REATILE: Botswana Patriotic Front
Mephato Reatile is leader of the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), a party created in 2019 by members of the ruling party who followed Khama when he broke away from the BDP because of his feud with Masisi. Reatile is a long-time ally of Khama. Khama, whose father Seretse Khama was Botswana’s founding president, has returned from three years in exile to support the BPF in the election. The party won about 4% of votes in 2019. The party may do better this year, boosted by Khama. However, it is seen as only a regional party, and it has fielded less candidates that rivals nationally, weakening its chances.
(Reuters/newZWire/AFP)
