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Bloomberg
Botswana, the world’s second-biggest diamond producer, will hold elections on October 23, with the southern African nation’s ruling party facing its toughest challenge since gaining independence in 1966.
Nominations for parliament and municipal candidates is set for September 26, the Independent Electoral Commission said in an emailed statement on Monday.
The Botswana Democratic Party has been in power for more than 50 years, but its popularity has declined and it secured a record low 47 percent of the vote in the last election in 2014.
President Mokgweetsi Masisi was chosen by his predecessor Ian Khama, but the two have since fallen out and the split risks sparking uncertainty in what has been one of the most stable African countries. Botswana has never experienced civil war or a coup and has the continent’s highest credit rating at Moody’s Investors Service.
The relationship between Masisi and Khama soured after the president took office in April last year. Khama accused his successor of freezing him out of decision-making, denying him benefits and of reversing some of his flagship policies, including a hunting ban on elephants among other restrictions.