A party in power for 58 years pledges change for Botswana

Botswana’s ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which has governed for nearly 60 years, is calling for “change” in its manifesto ahead of a highly competitive general election.

President Mokgweetsi Masisi is addressing economic issues like high unemployment, particularly among youth, and inequality driven by an overreliance on diamond mining.

The opposition, led by the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), doubts the BDP’s ability to bring real change, with UDC alleging potential election rigging.

The divided opposition could favor BDP's win under the first-past-the-post voting system, despite internal challenges and rising public criticism.