Africa's most stable nation Botswana votes in its tenth democratic elections on Friday, expected to challenge the faction-torn ruling party as recession hits the world's biggest diamond producer.

Nearly 725 000 voters have registered to cast parliamentary and local government ballots from 0430 GMT which President Ian Khama's party is tipped to win despite facing criticism over his authoritarian leadership style.

"I will not hesitate to fire lazy people because they have no place in my government. Batswana (local people) deserve good services and I will make sure that that is exactly what they get," Khama told a final rally on Thursday.

The 56-year-old son of Botswana's founding father Seretse Khama is facing his first election since taking over the reigns last April from his predecessor Festus Mogae who retired after serving his maximum ten years as president.

Regular democratic elections and presidents who do not attempt to stay in power after their terms expire have made Botswana a shining example of democracy on the African continent.

However Botswana faces challenges as the global economic crisis eats into gem revenues, and unemployment and poverty highlight the urgent need to diversify the economy as the deposits are expected to run out in 20 years.

The country battles the world's second-highest burden of Aids, with one in four adults out of a population of 1.9 million estimated to be HIV-positive, and 47 percent Batswana live below the poverty line of one dollar per day.

The ruling Botswana Democratic Party's stake of the popular vote has been steadily declining in recent years, but under the the first-past-the-post electoral system it has held its parliamentary majority with 44 seats after 2004 elections.

"I think the BDP will outrightly win the elections owing to the fact that it still has support in rural areas and most constituencies are not found in towns and cities," Dithapelo Keorapetse of the University of Botswana told AFP.

Seven political parties and 15 independent candidates are contesting the country's 57 constituencies, however the main race is between the BDP, main opposition Botswana National Front and its offshoot Botswana Congress Party.

The BNF, which won 26 percent of the popular vote and 12 parliamentary seats in the 2004 elections, says opposition parties may band together if they win enough constituencies to unseat Khama.

Botswana's parliament has 57 contested seats, and an additional four lawmakers are appointed by the president. The winning party will need 29 seats to name their president.

AFP

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