Mozambique's Guebuza headed for election victory

By Charles Mangwiro

MAPUTO (Reuters) - Mozambican President Armando Guebuza appeared headed for a resounding victory in an election on Thursday that would also see his ruling Frelimo party winning parliamentary and provincial polls.

Partial results showed Guebuza, seen as welcoming of greater foreign investment, taking a commanding lead over his rivals, longtime opposition leader Afonso Dhlakama, and the head of a new party, Daviz Simango.

Guebuza captured 77 percent of the presidential vote in all but one of Mozambique's 11 provinces, with 15 percent going to Simango, head of the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), a splinter of Renamo, a former rebel group and now the main opposition.

Renamo leader Dhlakama, who led a 16-year guerrilla war against Frelimo, has taken eight percent.

Millionaire businessman Guebuza and his ruling Frelimo party are expected to face pressure to provide poor Mozambicans with the benefits of tourism and untapped mineral and energy resources that have started to draw foreign companies and investors, particularly from neighbouring South Africa.

"We've just started counting the votes, these are partial results from the districts and towns with easy access of roads," said Lucas Jose, spokesman for the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE). He said final official results are not expected until November 12.

MDM had been seen running close to Guebuza until many of its candidates were barred from the contest due to registration irregularities. That raised questions over the integrity of the polls.

Analysts say opposition parties are too disorganised to make an impact -- though they may gain ground in the long term -- but, even so, they do not expect Guebuza to get an absolute majority in parliament.