Mogae to stand down

GABORONE – Botswana’s President Festus Mogae has announced that he is to stand down next year after a decade at the helm.

Mogae, 67, told members of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party that he would serve another nine months as head of state and then hand over to vice-president Seretse Khama Ian Khama ahead of a general election in October 2009. Mogae said: “I look forward in the next nine months to retirement and rest.I do so in the conviction, that I did my best; like Frank Sinatra, I did it my way and like Tony Blair, I did what I thought was right.”I do so with a sense of immense, satisfaction as I look back at what we have achieved together …I am further comforted by the belief that I have led a good party, with the assistance of good men and women, who are positioned to take it to greater heights.”The son of cattle farmers who was educated at Oxford University, Mogae has described himself as the ‘CEO’ of Botswana, which is one of the wealthiest countries in Africa.He came to power in 1998 in succession to Sir Ketumile Masire and was re-elected after his party triumphed over a divided opposition at the last elections in October 2004.The president is elected by members of the National Assembly and the constitution precludes presidents from serving more than two terms.A former senior director for Africa at the International Monetary Fund, Mogae made the fight against HIV-Aids one of the top priorities of his administration, warning once that Botswanans faced ‘extinction’ from HIV.Nampa-SapaMogae said: “I look forward in the next nine months to retirement and rest.I do so in the conviction, that I did my best; like Frank Sinatra, I did it my way and like Tony Blair, I did what I thought was right.”I do so with a sense of immense, satisfaction as I look back at what we have achieved together …I am further comforted by the belief that I have led a good party, with the assistance of good men and women, who are positioned to take it to greater heights.”The son of cattle farmers who was educated at Oxford University, Mogae has described himself as the ‘CEO’ of Botswana, which is one of the wealthiest countries in Africa.He came to power in 1998 in succession to Sir Ketumile Masire and was re-elected after his party triumphed over a divided opposition at the last elections in October 2004.The president is elected by members of the National Assembly and the constitution precludes presidents from serving more than two terms.A former senior director for Africa at the International Monetary Fund, Mogae made the fight against HIV-Aids one of the top priorities of his administration, warning once that Botswanans faced ‘extinction’ from HIV.Nampa-Sapa