Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi conceded defeat Friday as preliminary results showed his party losing its parliamentary majority.
The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which had governed for nearly six decades, trailed in fourth place.
“We got it wrong big time in the eyes of the people,” Masisi admitted at a news conference in Gaborone.
He expressed disappointment but acknowledged there was no path for his party to form a government.
The results, still to be finalized by the electoral commission, suggested the opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) was leading.
UDC’s leader, Duma Boko, appeared likely to become Botswana’s new president after securing 25 of the needed 31 seats.
The BDP, expected to win, saw Masisi seeking a second five-year term but unable to maintain support.
Masisi congratulated the opposition, pledging a smooth transition and vowing to “step aside” as required.
With Botswana’s economy struggling due to low diamond demand, voters had shown their dissatisfaction.
The BDP had promised economic diversification, but rising unemployment remained a key election issue.