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Johannesburg
19 October 2009
Botswana's President Ian Khama is to be inaugurated for a five-year term following his party's victory in Friday's elections.
Election officials say President Ian Khama will be sworn in for a second term on Tuesday after declaring his Botswana Democratic Party had won 45 of the 57 seats in parliament.
Mr. Khama celebrated his victory with supporters at a sports field in Gaborone.
Speaking in the local Setswana language, he congratulated the BDP members of parliament and counselors for winning the 2009 election.
And he congratulated the 11 opposition politicians and one independent candidate who also won seats in the next parliament.
Mr. Khama had campaigned on what he called the four "D's:" democracy, development, dignity and discipline.
At the rally he announced he was adding a fifth "D:" delivery on his promises.
Election officials said the main opposition party, The Botswana National Front, won six parliamentary seats while a splinter group, the Botswana Congress Party, won five.
The 56-year-old former army commander is the son of Botswana's first president, Seretse Khama. He had been elected head of the BDP and was serving as vice-president last year when then-president Festus Mogae retired.
Mr. Mogae had served 10 years as head-of-state, the maximum allowed by the constitution. He had come to power in similar fashion.
An 88-member observer team from the Southern African Development Community praised the election for its peace and credibility and high degree of tolerance.
Opposition leaders have accepted the results.
Botswana has enjoyed a high rate of economic growth and a per capita income of nearly $14,000 a year.
But nearly one-half of its people live on less than $1 per day. And the economy has been hit hard by the fall in the price of diamonds which make up one-third of its gross domestic product.
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