GABORONE, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Botswana's ruling party claimed victory in the Oct. 16 general elections on Saturday, according to reports from agencies.

President Ian Khama's Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), in power since independence from Britain in 1966, said it had secured the required 29 of 57 constituencies needed to win the election, extending Khama's rule over the southern African country for another five years. reported Reuters.

Botswana, a southern African country of some two million people, has around 725,000 registered voters, while seven political parties and 15 independent candidates are competing for the nation's 57 constituencies.

Botswana is among the African continent's most stable countries, relatively free of corruption. It is also among the world's biggest diamond producers and protects some of the continent's largest areas of wilderness.

The country has maintained one of the world's highest growth rates since independence in 1966. It has transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country. Diamond mining has fueled much of the economic expansion and currently accounts for about one-third of GDP.

However, Botswana has been hit very hard by the AIDS pandemic. It has one of the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS infection. It is also one of the African countries with the most progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.