Botswana counts votes after pivotal election

People in Botswana are waiting for results of Wednesday’s election which could extend the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)’s 58-year rule.

Earlier in the day, the main opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) leader Duma Boko voiced concerns about the exercise.

“We are worried about all these things because they speak to the integrity of the process and they tell you that we’re dealing with an IEC (Independent Electoral Commission) that is hellbent on ensuring that we do not have free, fair and credible elections, but we make do with what we have,” said Boko.

Ballot counting began as soon polling closed at 17:00 GMT. But some voting stations stayed open long after the official closing time to allow voters queuing up to cast their ballots.

The election will determine the makeup of the diamond-rich southern African country’s parliament, and lawmakers will later choose the president.

The ruling party won won 38 of 57 contested seats in the last election in 2019.

President Mokgweetsi Masisi, a 63-year-old former high school teacher, is seeking a second and final term.

A party needs to win at least 31 parliament seats to be declared as the winner.