Botswana will hold general elections on October 30, the president of the stable and diamond-rich southern African country announced Tuesday.President Mokgweetsi Masisi, who is standing for a second five-year term, said in a televised address that October 30 and 31 would be public holidays to allow people to “vote in large numbers”. Parliament will be dissolved on September 5, he said.The names of the presidential candidates must be submitted by September 28 and the parliamentary and local council candidates by October 4. Botswana is a multi-party democracy that holds general elections every five years. The ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has been in power since independence from Britain in 1966. The BDP on Saturday confirmed Masisi, 63, as its candidate. He launched the party manifesto the following day, promising jobs and a prosperous economy.The party won just over 52 percent of the votes in the 2019 election, ahead of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), which took nearly 36 percent. Masisi will in October face off against the UDC’s Duma Boko, 54, and Dumelang Saleshando, 52, of the smaller Botswana Congress Party.He became leader in 2018 under the BDP’s carefully choreographed succession process, which saw then-president Ian Khama step down 18 months before the polls.An arid country, Botswana has a population of about 2.5 million and is one of the most unequal societies in the world, according to the World Bank. Diamonds contribute more than 90 percent of its total exports and it has robust institutions and prudent economic management, it says.According to a 2024 report by pan-Africa pollster Afrobarometer, since Masisi assumed office, concerns have surfaced over corruption and nepotism involving the awarding of large government tenders to family members.
