Brussels 01.11.2024 On 30 October, the citizens of Botswana voted in parliamentary and local council elections. (Image above: Botswana sunset)

“The EU congratulates President Duma Gideon Boko on his election, and the people of Botswana on the peaceful exercise of their civic rights” reads the statement by the EU top diplomat Josep Borrell on elections results.

“The EU welcomes the exemplary transition of power, after outgoing President Mokgweetsi E. K. Masisi conceded defeat and appealed to his followers to rally behind the new Government. His Botswana Democratic Party had been in power since the country’s independence in 1966.

“As like-minded partners at multilateral level, we have a strong partnership since decades. We are driven by shared values of democracy and respect for the rule of law. We are economically linked and cooperate on issues, such as economic diversification and job creation, green transformation and digitalisation.

“The EU and Botswana relations are strong, and we look forward to further strengthening our partnership with Botswana once the new Government is in place”.

Botswana’s voters delivered a shock defeat to the ruling party which dominated political landscape for nearly six decades, registering their anger over economic stagnation linked to a decline. The decline mainly impacting diamond trade, which translated into the defeat of the ruling party, handing victory to an opposition presidential candidate Duma Boko.
The 54-year-old, of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) coalition, will replace President Mokgweetsi Masisi, who on November 1 conceded defeat after his Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) lost by a landslide for the first time in 58 years.