FREETOWN (AFP) - After a run-up marred by violence, Sierra Leone's local elections took place peacefully on Saturday with no reported incidents, but many voters stayed at home.

One of the poorest nations in the world, Sierra Leone is struggling to rebuild after a decade-long civil war (1991-2001) that left 120,000 people dead and tens of thousands mutilated.

Polling stations in the west African country closed at 5 pm (1700 GMT) in elections seen as a popularity test for the government of president Ernest Koroma, who came to power last year.

Despite reports of widespread violence and intimidation beforehand by alleged supporters of the ruling All People's Congress (APC) party and the main opposition Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) there was no news of incidents on Saturday.

But many people did not go out to vote.

"Although it appears to be a low turnout, the purpose has not been missed," election official Eustace King insisted to AFP.

In a press release, the National Electoral Commission said it realized "that there may be those who might not be voting because these elections have come so soon after the presidential and parliamentary elections" held last year.

In the capital Freetown a heavy downpour half an hour before the polls closed prevented people from queueing up to vote.

In the morning only a handful of people queued up after the polling stations opened.

"We want to cast our votes so that the incoming councillors and mayors will give us basic social amenities such as water and sanitation," Susan Sesay, a 68-year-old grandmother standing in line to vote, told AFP.

Saturday's vote may indicate whether voters are satisfied with Koroma's APC which came into power in September last year on an anti-corruption platform.

The previous SSLP government of Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, who served 10 years in office, has been blamed for the corruption and economic mismanagement that have hampered the diamond-rich but desperately impoverished Sierra Leone.

Police were out in force to ensure the election went off without a hitch. In Freetown security forces were seen checking people in line to vote and removed anyone seen to be wearing party colours.

Some human rights organisations on Saturday blamed the low turnout on the violent run-up to the vote.

"From our investigations, some voters said they feared a possible clash among political supporters so they simply stayed home and followed the proceedings on state and independent radio stations," Martin Thomas of the human rights organisation, Civic Rights, told AFP.

In the interior of the country local reporters also reported that the voting was peaceful with few people lining up to cast their ballots.

In the southern town of Bo, designated by police as a possible flashpoint, local radio correspondent Sydney Carr, reached by phone, reported that "the police are out in strong force here and are on alert," he told AFP.

The diamond-rich southern Kono district, which had seen some violent incidents ahead of the elections, was also relatively calm.

The National Electoral Commission said it would start counting the votes on Sunday and expected to announce the final results on July 23.

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