Botswana Democratic Party BDP is facing the biggest election challenge in its history as the Opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change leads in counting.
Opposition leader Duma Boko urged supporters to remain calm and vigilant.
Former President Ian Khama endorsed Botswana’s Patriotic Front, which drew votes from the BDP.
Duma Boko, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) candidate in Botswana’s election on Thursday, urged his supporters to “maintain vigilance and discipline” as early counting suggested a shock upset is possible.
By late afternoon, the UDC had won 27 out of the 61 available parliamentary seats – after 58 unbroken years of rule by the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).
If the UDC gets to 31 seats, it will have the power to appoint the Attorney-General and president.
Boko, a lawyer by profession, is running for the third time, losing to Ian Khama and then to Mokgweetsi Masisi.
“Counting centres remain places of further rigging and we should not let up. Do not leave the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and police officers with boxes (ballot) during breaks. We will celebrate once the job is complete, not now. It is not over yet until the final ballot is counted,” he said in a statement.
The IEC has been announcing parliamentary results since early on Thursday morning.
The race has so far been between UDC and BDP, with the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) at the tail end.