TANZANIA: PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has congratulated Botswana’s President – elect, Duma Boko for emerging victorious in the 2024 Botswana general elections.
President Samia posted on her X handle that Tanzania is looking forward to work with him to further strengthen the long-standing bilateral relationship.
“Your Excellency, President-elect, we look forward to working closely with you to further strengthening our longstanding bilateral,” she tweeted. President Samia also saluted the outgoing President Mokgweetsi Masisi and the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) leadership for their commitment to ensuring a smooth transition.
“To His Excellency Duma Boko, President-elect of the Republic of Botswana; on behalf of the Govern people of the United Republic of Tanzania, I convey my heartfelt congratulations on your victory in the 2024 Botswana general election,” the President tweeted.
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She added: “I also salute His Excellency President Mokgweetsi Masisi and the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) leadership for their commitment to ensuring a smooth transition.”
State television said the Mr Boko’s Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) had won 32 seats, based on results from 55 of the 61 constituencies up for grabs.
Under the country’s electoral system, the first party to take 31 of 61 seats in the legislature will be declared the winner, install its candidate as president and form a government.
President Masisi has conceded defeat as preliminary results showed his governing party lost its parliamentary majority after nearly six decades in power.
Earlier, the Botswana general elections were given thumbs up by a number of electoral observation missions including SADC electoral observation mission (SEOM), which was led by former Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda.
The Head of SEOM, Mr Pinda said in a statement on an election preliminary report that the election had been conducted in a conducive environment.
He said the political and security environment was generally calm and peaceful before and immediately after polling day.
“The mission observed free and peaceful campaigns by political parties and independent candidates through rallies, door-to-door campaigns, presidential debates, media campaigns and posters,” said Mr Pinda in a statement.
He added that the lack of violent incidents during the campaigns showed a degree of political tolerance and maturity.
Mr Pinda added that the independent Electoral Commission of Botswana (IEC) managed to register a total of 1,038, 261 voters, about 80 per cent of the set target of about 1.3 million, out of whom 1,036,226 were registered locally and 2,032 in the diaspora.
