Early Botswana Vote Tallies Point to Shock Loss For Ruling Party
- Opposition wins all 16 constituencies announced so far
- Final election results expect to be announced on Friday
Photographer: Monirul Bhuiyan/AFP via Getty Images
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Early results from Botswana’s election point to the party that has ruled the diamond-rich nation for the past 58 years losing its grip on power.
With votes tallied from 16 parliamentary constituencies, the opposition had won all the seats, including several held by the President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s Botswana Democratic Party, official results released by the electoral commission show. Under Botswana’s constitution, the party that controls the 61-seat legislature has the right to select a president and form a new government.