With nearly all votes counted from Sunday's elections, Venezuela's major newspapers calculated that pro-Chavez candidates won some 47 percent of city council posts across the country, while opposition candidates won 17 percent and other independent parties had 18 percent of posts.

The National Electoral Council released preliminary results Thursday evening showing Chavez's Fifth Republic Movement Party won some 1.3 million votes, or about 30 percent, with other pro-Chavez parties accounted for the remainder.

The local elections were to decide 5,599 posts, including thousands of city council and neighborhood board members.

Pro-Chavez candidates won two mayoral posts and a sole governor's race in the southern state of Amazonas.

The elections were seen as a test for Chavez's political allies four months before key congressional elections. Pro-Chavez candidates control 53 percent of the National Assembly, and are trying to increase their majority.