SELLO MOTSETA
Associated Press
GABORONE, Botswana (AP) — A circle of traditional dancers and a 21-gun salute on Tuesday marked the inauguration of Botswana’s president, who began a second term after the ruling party won an election last week.
President Ian Khama, a retired general and the son of independence leader Seretse Khama, was sworn in by Botswana’s chief justice during a ceremony outside the National Assembly building in the capital, Gaborone. Khama wore the country’s flag pinned to the lapel of his dark suit and stood beneath a canopy draped in the national colors of light blue, black and white.
Ian Khama, 61, entered politics as vice president in 1998 in the Botswana Democratic Party, which has been in power since 1966.
Born in Britain, Khama trained at the prestigious Sandhurst Royal Military Academy. He is a passionate conservationist and a qualified pilot.
The ruling party faced a tougher challenge from the opposition in the election on Friday, maintaining strong support in rural areas but losing votes in urban areas. The party won 45 out of 57 directly contested parliamentary seats in 2009 elections, but secured 37 seats in this election. It needed 29 seats to form a government.
Khama’s deputy, the vice president, will be elected by the parliament when it sits for the first time on Wednesday.
Activists and opposition leaders have criticized Khama for what they call an increasingly authoritarian style of leadership, though the government counters that Botswana’s multi-party democracy has won praise for stability and good governance over the years.
The Umbrella for Democratic Change, a coalition of opposition groups, won 17 seats in last week’s election. Another group, the Botswana Congress Party, had three seats.
The 57 directly elected members of the new parliament select another four members. The president and the attorney general also become members, bringing the total to 63.
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