Voting begins in Jamaican general election

Voting is underway in the general election in the Caribbean island of Jamaica.About one million people are eligible to vote for the sixty seats in parliament.

Opinion polls suggest the governing People's National Party is likely to retain its majority.

They give the Prime Minister, P.J. Patterson, a clear lead over his main rival, Edward Seaga, leader of the Jamaica Labour Party.

The main issue during the campaign has been the management of the economy with the government's policies coming under attack from other parties.

But correspondents say there's been a generally peaceful atmosphere in comparison with past elections.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service