Botswana ruling party loses power after 58 years

[San Lumen]

https://apnews.com/article/botswana-ele ... 13acaff1b6

Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi conceded defeat. The BDP got fourth place after winning a supermajority in the last election. They have ruled the country since independence in 1966.

It appears economic factors regarding the diamond industry and high unemployment was a factor in their defeat. This is the first time ever in the countries history there will be peaceful transfer of power from one party to another. Opposition leader Duma Boko is the new President.

any thoughts?

[Untecna]

It is good that power is being transferred peacefully.

[Rylland]

I'm very glad that power is peacefully transferred because i could be afraid of a potential coup when power is not transferred.

Also, what about the diamond industry? What happened to the mines? Are there still diamonds? Or no more?

[Hutsuls]

It is good that potential ally of Russia has taken power and that socialist principles will be established in Botswana. With this, Russia and China are further strengthened and west weakened. Hope the socialist government diversifies the economy with special preference to IT.

[San Lumen]

It is good that potential ally of Russia has taken power and that socialist principles will be established in Botswana. With this, Russia and China are further strengthened and west weakened. Hope the socialist government diversifies the economy with special preference to IT.

where are you getting the ally of Russia thing from?

[Hutsuls]

It is good that potential ally of Russia has taken power and that socialist principles will be established in Botswana. With this, Russia and China are further strengthened and west weakened. Hope the socialist government diversifies the economy with special preference to IT.

where are you getting the ally of Russia thing from?

UDC is collection of centre left - socialist parties and trends show that socialist parties are natural allies of Russia.

[Untecna]

where are you getting the ally of Russia thing from?

UDC is collection of centre left - socialist parties and trends show that socialist parties are natural allies of Russia.

So you are making an assumption based on your own (completely incorrect and immoral) support of Russia, not an informed statement with backing. Understood.

[San Lumen]

where are you getting the ally of Russia thing from?

UDC is collection of centre left - socialist parties and trends show that socialist parties are natural allies of Russia.

you have zero evidence to support this.

[The Byzantine Caliphate]

It is good that potential ally of Russia has taken power and that socialist principles will be established in Botswana. With this, Russia and China are further strengthened and west weakened. Hope the socialist government diversifies the economy with special preference to IT.

Russia has not been socialist since Gorbachev. Just see all the Russian business elites with megayachts and designer clothes. Stalin would have shot them; Putin enables them.

[Untecna]

It is good that potential ally of Russia has taken power and that socialist principles will be established in Botswana. With this, Russia and China are further strengthened and west weakened. Hope the socialist government diversifies the economy with special preference to IT.

Russia has not been socialist since Gorbachev. Just see all the Russian business elites with megayachts and designer clothes. Stalin would have shot them; Putin enables them.

The Communists in Russia actively enable Putin's regime. It's no secret that Russian socialism is still supportive of dictatorship.

[Hutsuls]

UDC is collection of centre left - socialist parties and trends show that socialist parties are natural allies of Russia.

you have zero evidence to support this.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbrell ... tic_Change

UDC is socialist

[San Lumen]

you have zero evidence to support this.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbrell ... tic_Change

UDC is socialist

and? How does this mean they are allies of Russia? I doubt Russia or Botswana have any interest in each other.

[HISPIDA]

you have zero evidence to support this.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbrell ... tic_Change

UDC is socialist

i can name a billion other "socialist" parties that hate russia's guts

[Hutsuls]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbrell ... tic_Change

UDC is socialist

and? How does this mean they are allies of Russia? I doubt Russia or Botswana have any interest in each other.

It seems you are not aware that Botswana citizens and Russian citizens can visit each others countries without visa, their relations especially trade relations were very good. Russia Ukraine war dampened it a bit since BDP supported sanctions and participated in Ukrainian peace summits. With UDC in power, foreign policy will probably change.

[Hutsuls]

UDC is collection of centre left - socialist parties and trends show that socialist parties are natural allies of Russia.

So you are making an assumption based on your own (completely incorrect and immoral) support of Russia, not an informed statement with backing. Understood.

No, historically, except for the period of Russia Ukraine war, Russia and Botswana had very good relations. Foreign policy will change and be amenable to Russia again as Botswana is in economic crisis and no African nation trusts western powers due to past colonialism and the history of regime changes among many reasons.

[HISPIDA]

So you are making an assumption based on your own (completely incorrect and immoral) support of Russia, not an informed statement with backing. Understood.

No, historically, except for the period of Russia Ukraine war, Russia and Botswana had very good relations. Foreign policy will change and be amenable to Russia again as Botswana is in economic crisis and no African nation trusts western powers due to past colonialism and the history of regime changes among many reasons.

west africa:

[El Lazaro]

No, historically, except for the period of Russia Ukraine war, Russia and Botswana had very good relations. Foreign policy will change and be amenable to Russia again as Botswana is in economic crisis and no African nation trusts western powers due to past colonialism and the history of regime changes among many reasons.

west africa:

Is this a joke about West Africa being Western or a claim than West Africa trusts Western powers?

[Hutsuls]

No, historically, except for the period of Russia Ukraine war, Russia and Botswana had very good relations. Foreign policy will change and be amenable to Russia again as Botswana is in economic crisis and no African nation trusts western powers due to past colonialism and the history of regime changes among many reasons.

west africa:

I don’t understand what you mean?

[Congo-Kinsasa]

Though the writing has been on the wall for some time, this is still pretty shocking. As said in the OP, the BDP has been the ruling party of Botswana for the country's entire modern history post-independence, and in that time until the last year or so has never faced any serious contenders for power.

Interestingly, serveral other countries in Southern Africa have seen similar major political shifts away from established, long-ruling political parties, though none as drastic as Botswana. For example, here in South Africa, the ANC lost is parliamentary majority for the first time since taking power after 1994, and has been forced into a broad coalition with several of the countries main opposition parties (including its erstwhile arch-rival, the Democratic Alliance) to maintain power. Across the border in Mozambique, there is some evidence to suggest that FRELIMO (which has similarly ruled more or less since the country's independecne from Portugal) manipulated the results of the country's recent elections in its favour, which has seen an explosion of violence as opposition parties dispute the results.

I'm very glad that power is peacefully transferred because i could be afraid of a potential coup when power is not transferred.

Also, what about the diamond industry? What happened to the mines? Are there still diamonds? Or no more?

Botswana's economy is heavily dependent on diamond mining, and the global diamond industry has sharply declined over the past year. Just two days ago, Reuters reported that Debswana diamond sales fell by over 50% in 2024, leading to a massive economic downturn and skyrocketing unemployment.

[Congo-Kinsasa]

west africa:

Is this a joke about West Africa being Western or a claim than West Africa trusts Western powers?

I think they may be referring to the fact that France still has a colonial relationship with many of its former colonies, especially in West Africa.

[Soviet Haaregrad]

where are you getting the ally of Russia thing from?

UDC is collection of centre left - socialist parties and trends show that socialist parties are natural allies of Russia.

Socialists are the natural allies of Putin's neo-fascists?

[Untecna]

UDC is collection of centre left - socialist parties and trends show that socialist parties are natural allies of Russia.

Socialists are the natural allies of Putin's neo-fascists?

You'd be surprised how many socialist movements applaud China and Russia.

[Turtle Island National Commonwealth]

Socialists are the natural allies of Putin's neo-fascists?

You'd be surprised how many socialist movements applaud China and Russia.

Yeah, but it's mostly just tankies who think anything considered "anti-West" is automatically a good thing and to whom nuance is anathema.

[Shrillland]

Incredible to say the least. Let's see how things go for them, they need to get the economy back up and running of they want to fulfill their minimum wage promise.

[Ludowystan]

Big things happening in Botswana.