MADRID 15 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Secretary of the United States Department of State, Antony Blinken, congratulated this Thursday the new president of Botswana, Duma Boko, for the “historic elections” held on October 30, when the victory achieved by the Coalition for Democratic Change put end to almost six decades of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) at the head of the African country.
Blinken has “applauded the Botswana people for their commitment to democracy and for using their collective voice to shape the future of their nation,” said the spokesman for the head of US diplomacy, Matthew Miller, in a statement.
Likewise, he noted that Blinken and Boko have reaffirmed the importance of the “solid alliance” between the United States and Botswana, “based on common values and democratic principles.” “They have agreed to work together to promote economic prosperity, public health, regional security and environmental conservation,” he added.
Boko, who was sworn in last Friday in a ceremony held at the National Stadium in Gaborone (capital) calling for unity, has announced in recent days some of the names of his cabinet. Among the published charges, the Minister of Youth has been named, who will be Miss World Africa Lesego Chombo, 26 years old.
The PDB, led by Mokgweetsi Masisi, had dominated Botswana politics since the country gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1966, although this time it went to the polls after years of tensions between Masisi and his predecessor in office, Ian Khama, and in the face of a worsening economic situation due to the drop in the sale of diamonds, the main source of income for its economy.
Botswana, one of the poorest countries in the world after independence, went on to become one of the fastest growing economies after independence, in part due to the impact of the diamond trade, political stability and its reduced population – of about 2.5 million inhabitants -, according to the World Bank.
However, sales in the international diamond trade have fallen in recent years, prompting criticism over the impact on the economy and the PDB’s lack of efforts to diversify it during its nearly six decades at the helm of the country. , also marked by a high structural unemployment rate of around 28 percent, is also facing an increase in climate shocks.
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