- Title: Botswana's Masisi attends rally as first real challenge to ruling party looms
- Date: 22nd October 2019
- Summary: MOSHUPA VILLAGE, BOTSWANA (OCTOBER 22, 2019) (REUTERS) PRESIDENT OF BOTSWANA DEMOCRATIC PARTY, MOKGWEETSI MASISI, ARRIVING AT A RALLY VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS OF BDP AT RALLY VARIOUS OF MASISI ON PODIUM ADDRESSING HIS SUPPORTERS SUPPORTERS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF BOTSWANA DEMOCRATIC PARTY, MOKGWEETSI MASISI, SAYING: "We have got to jolt this economy and do something unusual and that is why we have resolved to want to transform this economy from being resource-led to being a knowledge-based economy." MASISI'S SUPPORTERS LISTENING TO HIS ADDRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF BOTSWANA DEMOCRATIC PARTY, MOKGWEETSI MASISI, SAYING: "Dealing with overpopulation of wildlife species not in a manner to suggest we hate them. Hunting is a perfectly legitimate conservation method." SUPPORTERS AT RALLY (SOUNDBITE) (English) BDP SUPPORTER, EVA MARUMO, SAYING; "Dr Masisi is fighting day and night for corruption to come to an end in this country and we know that corruption is the main cause of economy lapse in the country so I hope he continues to do that." MASISI DANCING WITH HIS WIFE NEO MASISI AT THE RALLY (SOUNDBITE) (Setswana) BDP SUPPORTER, TSENOLORO RADIPUDI, SAYING; "BDP must help us Botswana people and give us jobs." MASISI LEAVING THE RALLY WITH WIFE NEO MASISI
- Embargoed: 5th November 2019 17:48
- Keywords: Botswana election Botswana Democratic Party BDP President Mokgweetsi Masisi BDP rally election rally
- Location: MOSHUPA VILLAGE, BOTSWANA
- City: MOSHUPA VILLAGE, BOTSWANA
- Country: Botswana
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001B26J9DZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Botswana's president attended an election rally on Tuesday (October 22) ahead of an election on Wednesday (October 23) that will present the first genuine challenge to the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in its five decades of dominance over southern Africa's wealthiest and most stable nation.
Whichever party wins will have to move swiftly to transform the economy, which since independence from Britain in 1966 has grown at 8 percent a year to become one of Africa's most successful, but now risks coming unstuck because of over-reliance on a single commodity - diamonds.
Duma Boko, leader of the Umbrella for Democratic Change, is hoping to unseat the BDP of President Mokgweetsi Masisi on a promise to do just that. He is backed by former president Ian Khama, who handed over to Masisi last year but has since fallen into a bitter power struggle with him.
Masisi is standing on his record on tackling corruption, such as making a declaration of assets obligatory for public sector officials, and slashing bureaucracy for small businesses.
Of Botswana's population of 2.2 million people, 924,000 registered voters will elect 57 national assembly and 490 local government representatives. The winning party's candidate then becomes president.
(Production: Siyabonga Sishi) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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