GABORONE, Botswana — Botswana held a national election on Wednesday to decide if one of Africa's longest-ruling parties stays in power for another five-year term.
The Botswana Democratic Party has governed the southern African nation for 58 years, since independence from Britain in 1966, and has held the presidency throughout. The election will determine the makeup of Parliament and lawmakers will later elect the president.
President Mokgweetsi Masisi, a 63-year-old former high school teacher who also previously worked for UNICEF, is seeking a second and final term.
Botswana has been held up as one of Africa's success stories — a peaceful and stable democracy with one of the best standards of living in the region — but is facing new economic challenges that have pushed the ruling party to concede that policy change is needed.
That's largely because of a global downturn in demand for mined diamonds, which Botswana's economy relies on. Unemployment in the nation of some 2.5 million people has risen to 27% this year, and is significantly higher for young people.
The economy running on diamonds
The ruling party says it has listened to the concerns of voters and will pursue changes that could diversify an economy where diamonds account for more than 80% of Botswana's exports and a quarter of the GDP, according to the World Bank. One of its campaign slogans has been ''Changing Together, Building Prosperity.''
On the eve of the election, Masisi held a boisterous final campaign rally in the capital, Gaborone, wearing a bright red suit jacket — the color of his party — and dancing with supporters. He voted Wednesday at a school in his home village of Moshupa.
