UPDATE 2 - Duma Boko sworn in as Botswana’s new president

UPDATES WITH FRESH DETAILS AS NEW PRESIDENT TAKES OATH, CHANGES HEADER, DECK, LEDE

By James Kunda

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) – Botswana’s new President Dumo Gideon Boko has taken oath of his office in front of the country’s Chief Justice Terrence Rannowane in the capital Gaborone hours after being declared winner of Wednesday’s election.

In his first public address, Boko thanked the people of Botswana for their confidence and pledged to work diligently.

The opposition leader was officially declared Botswana’s new president after the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) suffered a surprising defeat, ending its nearly six-decade reign.

The announcement was made by Chief Justice Terrence Rannowane, who congratulated Boko and acknowledged the confidence the nation’s voters placed in him.

The general elections, held on Wednesday, saw the BDP’s outgoing President Mokgweetsi Masisi, 63, ousted as opposition parties collectively secured a majority.

According to the Independent Electoral Commission, opposition parties won at least 35 of the 61 seats in parliament, surpassing the threshold required to form a government.

Masisi, who had only served a single term after succeeding Ian Khama in 2019, conceded defeat in Gaborone, noting: “Unexpected as it is, it is a good time to take a rest. I worked six to seven days a week."

The Umbrella for Democratic Change, led by Boko, secured 22 seats, while the Botswana Congress Party, led by Dumelang Saleshando, took eight. The Botswana Patriotic Front, a party founded by supporters of former President Ian Khama, won five seats.

As of early Friday, the Mmegi newspaper reported that opposition parties had officially gained the majority of parliamentary seats, marking the end of the BDP's long-standing rule since Botswana’s independence in 1966.

Under Botswana’s constitution, the party with a parliamentary majority elects the president, officially paving the way for Boko's leadership.