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Gaborone – Voting was proceeding smoothly yesterday in parliamentary and presidential elections in Botswana, where the party that has ruled the southern African country for nearly 50 years was facing a tough challenge from the recently united opposition.
“I am thrilled to be part of this epic moment,” Duma Boko, presidential candidate of the three-party alliance Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), said after casting his vote.

Boko expressed confidence that support from young people would help the UDC defeat the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which has won every election since the country’s independence from Britain in 1966.

President Ian Khama, who has been in power since 2008, is facing Dumelang Saleshando of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), which is currently the third-largest in the 61-member parliament.

More than 820,000 people are registered to vote. There were no reports so far of incidents of violence.

Khama, the son of Botswana’s first president Seretse Khama, is popular because of the stability of the diamond-based economy and generous social programmes.

But his government’s widely praised record in fighting corruption and maintaining freedom of expression has begun to dim.

Many analysts expect power to remain with the BDP, which enjoys support especially in rural areas among Khama’s majoritarian Tswana ethnic group.

The leader of the party that wins the elections is elected president by parliament.

“All voting started smoothly at 06:30 in all our polling stations,” Botswana Electoral Commission spokesperson Osupile Maroba said.

Khama is battling to win over voters in urban areas, where opposition parties have made some inroads since the formation of a breakaway party, the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) in 2010.

The 61-year-old Khama is also a traditional chief of the Bangwato clan and can count on strong rural support as he runs for a second term in office.

In Serowe, Khama’s home town north of the capital Gaborone, women covered in blankets waited patiently outside polling stations.

“We won’t let our president down, that is why I am here so early. I am voting for our party here, the BDP of Khama,” said Amantle Ramasia, a 67-year-old Serowe resident.

“He is our chief, I know his family well and he is a great man for this country,” she added.

Khama voted at a community hall in the town, accompanied by his younger brother Tshekedi Khama, the minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism.

Women ululated as he stepped out of a white four-by-four. He did not stop to greet the elated supporters, jumped the long queue to pick up his ballot and left shortly afterwards.

The parched town, with many traditional thatched roof households, has given the country three presidents – two Khamas as well as Festus Mogae.

Despite this illustrious history, the town is still steeped in poverty, with some roads winding between humble homes still unpaved.

But electricity cables criss-cross above stunted trees, a sign of development many of the locals credit to the ruling party government.

“Change is slow, very slow. I think the government is taking care of us but it’s not enough. We need jobs,” said Tau Mongwase, an unemployed youth from the village. “The mines are not hiring us anymore. Things are very tough for young people here.”

With the global financial crisis leading to a drop in diamond revenues, Khama’s government halted planned investment, leading to growing unemployment and slow progress in diversifying the economy.

Fighting to topple Khama is Dumelang Saleshando, leader of the official opposition, the Botswana Congress Party (BCP).

According to an Afrobarometer report issued last week, the BCP – which has campaigned under the slogan “Ready to Lead” – is the fastest growing party in the country. – AFP