Maputo — Mozambique's ruling Frelimo Party, triumphant in Wednesday's local elections in most of the country, suffered a shock in the central province of Zambezia, where it came close to losing control of the town of Gurue.

In the last local elections, in 2003, the Frelimo candidate for mayor won almost 73 per cent of all valid votes. But this time, the Frelimo vote has dropped to just over 50 per cent, narrowly avoiding a second round.

According to Radio Mozambique, the results from all 29 Gurue polling stations gave the following results in the mayoral election:

Sergio Campos (Frelimo): 4,934 Latino Ligonha (Renamo) 4,697 Maria Lino (Independent) 146 Xavier Alfandega (PDD) 32

As for the election for the Gurue municipal assembly, the results from 23 polling stations were:

Frelimo: 4,895 Renamo 3,841 PDD: 148 Independent 100

In Mocuba, also in Zambezia, Frelimo enjoyed a comfortable majority, in the first 19 polling stations (out of 45) reported by the radio, indicating that the current mayor, Rogerio Gaspar, will win a further term.

The results for the mayoral election from these stations were:

Rogerio Gaspar (Frelimo): 3,378 Antonio Alfredo (Renamo): 1,578

As for the election for the Mocuba municipal assembly, Frelimo had more than twice as many votes as Renamo is these stations. The results were:

Frelimo: 3,656 Renamo 1,500

In the Zambezia town of Alto Molocue, which was elevated to municipal status this year, Frelimo seems certain to win. With the radio reporting from ten of the 14 polling stations, the results of the mayoral election were as follows:

Sertonio Fernando (Frelimo): 2,272 Jose Palaco (Renamo): 1,122

The results for the election to the Alto Molocue municipal assembly, this time from nine polling stations, were:

Frelimo: 1,828 Renamo: 1,072 PPD 21

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