Botsana’s ruling party- Botswana Democratic Party has won the elections extending President Ian Khama’s rule over the world’s largest diamond producer for another five years.
Khama’s BDP that has been in power since independence from Britain in
1966 said, it had secured the required 29 out of 57 constituencies
needed to win the election
Reports say the country’s independent electoral commission announced the results Sunday paving the way for legislators to select incumbent Khama in power.
Results show that Khama’s party had won 45 out of the 57 parliamentary seats in Friday’s vote. But some ministers lost their seats.
“I’d like to congratulate the BDP, parliament members and councillors for winning the 2009 election, and also members of the opposition for giving us competition at the election,” Khama is quoted saying while addressing his supporters.
Khama would be inaugurated this week.
The country’s opposition, which is divided and weak, calls Khama a divisive figure whose military background did not prepare him to lead a democracy. He dismisses charges that he has tried to suppress dissent.
The BDP won 77.2 percent of the vote in the last election in 2004. In the recently dissolved parliament, it held 44 seats while the BNF had 12 and the BCP had 1.
Analysts believe the West would welcome the re-election, despite domestic criticism accusing the leader of being an authoritarian.
Diamond revenues have been squandered to overcome Botswana’s economic crisis, resulting in rampant unemployment and raising mild concerns over the usually calm country’s stability.
