Supporters of Botswana's ruling party on the way from a rally. (Photo Courtesy Levi Kabwato)

Batswana are going to the polls today Friday October 16 2009, to elect parliamentary and council representatives, as the country chalked its 10th general election with the ruling party the Botswana Democratic party (BDP), which has been in power since 1966 heavily tipped to win.

The electoral map is organized into 57 constituencies, 490 polling districts and 2288 internal and 26 international polling stations. Other political parties in the race are Botswana National Front (BNF) and the Botswana Congress party (BCP), Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM), Botswana People's Party (BPP), Movement for the study of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin (MELS).

BNF and BCP are seen as serious competition to BDP. In the last elections which took place in year 2008, out of the 57 constituencies, the BDP managed to capture 44, the BNF 12 and the BCP one.

The electoral commission said it is ready for elections. "I can comfortably say that certainly we have prepared. We have everything in place for the conduct of correct elections," the head of the Independent Electoral Commission, Gabriel Seeletso, told journalists in Gaborone.