Maputo — Polling stations in central Maputo opened on time on Wednesday for Mozambique's second municipal elections, and the build-up of queues indicated that this time there will be a reasonable turnout.

The orderly and efficient scenes at the polling stations contrasted with the chaos that had marked the first local elections in 1998. Then all polling stations in Maputo had opened hours late, and in many cases the polling station staff had to use hammers to smash open padlocks on the trunks containing the voting materials. Inexplicably no-one knew where they keys where.

The late opening and the disorganisation, plus a boycott by the main opposition party, the former rebel movement Renamo, ensured that turnout in 1998 was miserably low. Less than 15 per cent of the municipal electorate voted.

This time everything seems to be running smoothly for the one day election. Polls opened at 07.00, and are due to close at 18.00 - though anyone still in the queue at that time will be allowed to vote.

Polite polling station staff checked the identity of each voter against the electoral register. Each polling station has a register which, in principle, should not contain more than 1,000 names.

Once his or her right to vote was confirmed, the voter received the two ballot papers - one for the mayor, and the other for the municipal assembly. A staff member explained how to fill in the ballot papers, and deposit them in the ballot boxes.

Once citizens have voted, one of their fingers is dipped in indelible ink - a safeguard to ensure that n-one can vote more than once, since no ballot papers are given to people who already have inky fingers.

At the polling stations visited by AIM, monitors representing at least some of the candidates and parties contesting the election were at hand, watching all the proceedings.

Police were also present to deal with any disturbances, though there was no indication that they would be needed.

The 33 municipalities have between them 2,687 polling stations. Each should be staffed by five people, giving a total of 13,435 polling station staff. The Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE), the electoral branch of the Mozambican civil service, trained the staff over a fortnight earlier this month.

As by far the largest municipality, Maputo City has the largest number of polling stations - 674, staffed by 3,370 people.