5 reasons Botswana’s election matters not just for Africa but the world

Botswana is holding parliamentary elections on Wednesday (October 30).

The southern African nation of Botswana is remarkable in many measures. For one, the nation has never had a coup and has never had military rule, which is remarkable in Africa where coups have picked up in recent years.

As per African standards, Botswana is a stable democracy that sees peaceful transitions. The country is known for the export of diamonds.

Here are five things about Botswana’s 2024 parliamentary elections.

1. Botswana elections fast facts

In the 2024 Botswanan elections, President Mokgweetsi Masisi is seeking a second term.

Botswana has more than 1 million registered voters.

In the previous elections in 2019, Masisi had won with around 52 per cent of the vote.

In the 61-seat parliament, voters will elect the members of parliament (MPs) and the MPs will choose the president. A part needs 31 seats to win.

The counting of votes will start hours after the voting closes around 7 pm local time. The results should be available by late Thursday.

2. Oldest democracy in region — but with a catch

Botswana is the oldest democracy in the region. Moreover, the nation has never had military rule.

Since independence from British rule in 1966, Botswana has been ruled by Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) continuously.

While the BDP is not extremely popular and is not expected to do better than the previous elections when it won around 52 per cent votes, the fractured Opposition would mean that the BDP may extend its six-decade hold on power by another term easily.

The main Opposition alliance, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), lost two key parties, the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) and Botswana Congress Party (BCP), ahead of the elections, who decided to contest independently, according to AFP.

3. Botswana has managed diamond trade well but wants to diversify

Botswana has managed its natural resources quite well over the decades, using its diamond reserves to its advantage.

Botswana is the world’s top manufacturer of diamonds by volume.

However, the reliance on one industry alone has led to Botswana to make attempts to diversify in recent years.

In his second term, Masisi’s BDP has said that it would seek a development strategy focussed on increasing agricultural output and mineral processing to diversify the economy, according to Reuters.

4. Highest GDP per capita in region

Botswana has the highest per capita GDP in the sub-Saharan mainland Africa.

5. Rising unemployment

While Botswana has had the highest per capita GDP in the region and has had a stable polity, unemployment has risen in recent years.

The unemployment rate in Botswana is currently at 27 per cent amid weakening economy, according to AFP.

A section of voters has also raised questions at the integrity of elections.

The Opposition has been critical of the election authorities in Botswana for failing to share a digital version of the voters roll and a shortage of ballot papers in early voting for public officers, as per the news agency.