Africa-Press – Botswana. Following Umbrella for Democratic Change’s general elections historic win, another defining moment was registered as the former president Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi handed over the leadership reins to his successor, President Advocate Duma Boko.
During a short ceremony , which was attended by senior government officials at the Office of the President, Advocate Boko announced that Mr Ndaba Gaolathe was the Vice President designate.
Mr Gaolathe, who is the leader of the Alliance for Progressives, won the Gaborone Bonnington South Parliamentary seat under the Umbrella for Democratic Change coalition.
The handover ceremony was duly followed by a joint press conference by President Boko and Dr Masisi.
President Boko vowed to continue to respect his predecessor, whom he said he admired.
He said he was humbled to be handed over the honourable responsibility of leading the government and was accepting it with humility.
Adv. Boko said he was well aware that this was a mammoth task with high expectations, however assuring senior government official that he was ready to work with them in a transparent and open manner, urging them to also play open cards.
President Boko reminded government officials that together, they were faced with a mammoth task, demanding them to work together, recognising that the public service was endowed with experienced and decorated professionals.
“Let us do our very best for this country,” he said.
He said the smooth handover process was testimony that the country’s democracy was mature, adding that it was rare to observe a moment where power was moving from one regime to the other without contention, further proving that the accolades of a shining example of democracy that it had been receiving from the world were well deserved.
For his part, Dr Masisi described the occasion as a moment where he was administratively handing over government and its instruments to the new President.
“I am a firm believer in democracy,” Dr Masisi told the journalists, adding that the people of Botswana too were true democrats.
He acknowledged that the people had spoken ‘in their numbers through a process that had been tested, was impartial, transparent and evidence-based’.
“Democracy for us is not just an abstract concept, we peel through it with intention and peeling through it means walking every step of the way,” he said.
He said he was now looking forward to the inaugauration of the new President.
Of the pre-election campaign, Dr Masisi said, “I knew I had a responsibility to make sure that we set a standard since we never had a change of government, where a different party was taking over. I can confirm to you that I meant every word of what I said.”
He also added that he had wanted his handover of government administration to be made public, adding that in the absence of his predecessor, he had told the senior civil servants as per the provision of the Constitution, that President Boko was their new leader as well as the armed forces that he was their Commander in Chief.
“I have happily handed over and have instructed all to pay allegiance to the government of the day. We have an apolitical public service and they take instructions to follow and deliver government programmes for the government of the day,” he said.
He urged that President Boko must be respected and get the much needed support.
Dr Masisi reminded the nation that other general elections would be held in five years’ time and that if what had happened to him and his party was to be repeated, people must understand that power was only borrowed and causing havoc did not pay.
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