Duma Boko elected as the sixth President of Botswana
Appointment
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The opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change party candidate, Duma Boko, has been elected as the sixth President of Botswana. This was announced by Botswana's Chief Justice, Terence Rannowane. The victory of the Umbrella for Democratic Change party in the recently held parliamentary election also ended the 58-year rule of the Botswana Democratic Party in the country.
The Botswana Democratic Party has ruled the country since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1966.
Constitutional System in Botswana
Botswana is one of the few countries in Africa that has been democratic and has held regular elections since its independence. The President is indirectly elected and is both the head of the state and the head of the government. The president is elected by the Botswana parliament, also known as the National Assembly.
Voting to elect the 61 members of the National Assembly and 609 local council seats in the 16 local authorities across the country was held on 30 October 2024.
The Umbrella for Democratic Change party secured the majority in the parliamentary election, ending the Botswana Democratic Party's 58-year dominance.
Sixth President of Botswana
There were three presidential candidates in the recently held election. The incumbent president, Mokgweetsi Masisi of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party, was seeking his second term in office.
He was challenged by the main opposition party, Umbrella for Democratic Change, led by Duma Boko and Dumelang Saleshando of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP).
With the Umbrella for Democratic Change party having won the majority in the National Assembly, its candidate, Duma Boko, was elected as the president of the country by the newly elected members of the National Assembly.
Term of the President of Botswana
The President of Botswana is elected for a term of five years, and a person can be president for only two terms.
The members of the National Assembly are also elected for a term of five years.
About Botswana
Botswana is a landlocked country in Southern Africa that shares a boundary with Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
It is the second-largest diamond producer in the world after Russia. Rough diamonds constitute around 80 per cent of its exports.
Diamond trade has made Botswana one of Africa's highest per capita income countries.
The country also has the largest population of wild elephants in the world.
Capital: Gaborone
Currency: Botswana Pula
President: Duma Boko
