Seismic change in Botswana as party that ruled for 58 years loses power

Associated Press

GABORONE, Botswana (AP) — Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi has conceded defeat in the general election, in a seismic moment of change for the country that ended the ruling party’s 58 years in power since independence from Britain in the 1960s. Masisi’s concession came before final results were announced on Friday, with his Botswana Democratic Party trailing in fourth place in the parliamentary elections in what appeared to be a humbling rejection by voters and a landslide victory for the main opposition party. The opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change held an overwhelming lead in the partial results, making its candidate, Duma Boko, the favorite to become president of a southern African country that is one of the world’s biggest producers of mined diamonds.