More than a million people are registered to vote after polls opened at 6:30 a.m. (0430 GMT), with four presidential candidates vying to lead the region’s oldest democracy, installed during the Independence from Britain in 1966 when the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) took office.

Voters in the arid, sparsely populated country have expressed concerns about an economic slowdown and unemployment that has reached 27 percent, amid accusations of corruption and government mismanagement.

But the ruling party has rejected the criticism and points to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy, with falling demand for diamonds also reducing revenues.

“In 2019, we made a clean sweep of Gaborone,” Masisi, 63, told around 400 cheering supporters at a final night rally in the capital on Tuesday evening. “This year I want to fine-tune myself,” said this American-educated former school teacher eloquently.

Dressed entirely in the red colors of the BDP, Queen Mosiane, 34, declared herself loyal to the party because its government had supported her when she was orphaned, especially with regard to education and health care covered by the state.

“We live in peace in this country thanks to the BDP,” she said. “Now is not the time to change because we don’t know what we are inviting.”

“The opportunities we find, and the opportunities our children will find in the future, are because of the BDP,” civil servant Refile Kutlwano, 34, said at the same rally. “The opposition is not ready to govern.”

Masisi was elected in 2019 with around 52 percent of the vote. Although the party is not expected to fare much better this time, the opposition is divided.

– A divided opposition –

The main opposition alliance is the left-wing Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) party, led by human rights lawyer Duma Boko, 54.

It lost two key members as polling day approached, with the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) and Botswana Congress Party (BCP) quitting and each fielding their own presidential candidates.

It was a blow to voters like Ookeditse Letshwenyo, 23, who saw the UDC provide opportunities for young people who struggle to find well-paying jobs beyond the minimum wage of about P1,500 (110 dollars) per month.

“Since our independence, we have been led by the same people, with the same mindset and the same goals,” said Letshwenyo, who launched an IT start-up. “You cannot win against the BDP as long as you are divided,” he said.

Although the surprise return six weeks ago of former President Ian Khama after three years in self-exile to campaign against Masisi added some dynamism to the opposition, analysts said his influence was limited to a few districts.

Before polling day, opposition groups reported irregularities by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), including the failure to share a digital version of the electoral list and the lack of ballot papers during early voting for security personnel.

Despite some disillusionment with the ruling party, with its “historic momentum and a limping opposition, the BDP’s path to victory appears not only likely but increasingly clear”, said the independent Mmegi newspaper.

With 61 seats up for grabs in Parliament, Botswana’s first-past-the-post system means the first party to win 31 seats will be declared the winner and install its presidential candidate.

Counting will begin within hours after polling stations close at 7:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. GMT) on Wednesday and results will be expected Thursday evening, CEI spokesperson Osupile Marob said.

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