Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi accepted defeat on Friday after his party polled a distant fourth according to tallies by the electoral commission.
Masisi’s concession came even before the final results were announced.
The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Masisi’s party, has been in power since independence from Britain in 1966.
Analysts say mounting socio-economic grievances, especially among youths in the diamond-rich Southern African country, led to the party’s downfall.
“We got it wrong big time in the eyes of the people,” Masisi said in Gaborone, the country’s capital city.
“We were really convinced of our message. But every indication, by any measure, is that there’s no way that I can pretend that we’re going to form a government.”
The president, who was seeking a second five-year term in Wednesday’s election, said he would “step aside”.
“I will respectfully step aside and participate in a smooth transition process ahead of inauguration,” Masisi said.
“I am proud of our democratic processes and I respect the will of the people.”
Masisi congratulated the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), the opposition party with an overwhelming lead in results announced so far.
Duma Boko, the UDC candidate, will most likely become the country’s next president.
The results are expected to be confirmed by the electoral commission on Friday.
More than one million people were registered to vote from a population of 2.6 million, with concerns about unemployment and resource mismanagement in Masisi’s first term.