Botswana vice president elected as ruling party's chairperson

Botswana Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi was elected as the chairperson of the ruling party Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) on Saturday, local media reported.

The election was held at BDP's ongoing national party congress in Mmadinare, eastern Botswana. The congress from Friday to Sunday is expected to see party's new elected Central Committee members including Secretary General, Treasurer and others, besides the chairperson.

The party's outgoing chairman was Botswana's former Vice President Ponatshego Kedikilwe.

Masisi won 582 votes out of 954 votes including 4 spoilt votes, the country's government-owned Botswana Television reported. A number of local media also posted the results through Facebook pages. Masisi has expressed his gratitude to voters through his Facebook page.

Masisi was endorsed as Vice President last November following BDP's 11th victory in the general elections, where he won parliament seat of Moshupa constituency.

The ruling party has been in power since independence in 1966.

When opening the party congress on Friday, Botswana President Seretse Khama Ian Khama called on voters to elect party leaders who will put the party in good standing for the next general elections in 2019 and are wanting to stand for this party's interests and not their own.