Botswana's President Masisi to Seek Second Term in October Election

AFRICAN BUSINESS AND ECONOMYSeptember 3, 2024 at 4:24 PM UTC

TLDR

Botswana general elections set for October 30 with President Masisi seeking re-election.
President Masisi declares October 30 and 31 as public holidays to boost voter turnout.
Opposition candidates Duma Boko and Dumelang Saleshando to challenge Masisi in the election.

Botswana will hold its general elections on October 30, President Mokgweetsi Masisi announced on Tuesday. The president, who is seeking a second five-year term, declared October 30 and 31 as public holidays to encourage high voter turnout in the Southern African nation.

The current parliament will be dissolved on September 5, with presidential candidates required to submit their names by September 28, and parliamentary and local council candidates by October 4.

Masisi, who became leader in 2018 following a carefully orchestrated succession process, will face UDC's Duma Boko, 54, and Dumelang Saleshando, 52, of the Botswana Congress Party in the upcoming election.

Key Takeaways

Botswana, a stable and diamond-rich nation in southern Africa, has a multi-party democracy and holds general elections every five years. The ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), in power since independence from Britain in 1966, recently confirmed Masisi, 63, as its candidate. The BDP secured just over 52% of the votes in the 2019 election, with the main opposition, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), garnering nearly 36%.

Botswana

Election

Southern Africa

Finance

Economy

General Election

President Mokgweetsi Masisi