Canada's Conservative Party wins re-election

The Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper leads his party to victory but is forecast to fall short of a majority in Parliament.

The Conservative Party leader and Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper speaks to supporters at his election night headquarters in Calgary.

OTTAWA // The Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper, the first major world leader to face voters since the global financial meltdown, led his Conservative Party to victory in yesterday's election but was forecast to fall short of a majority in Parliament. The election agency reported on its website that the Conservatives had won or were leading in the race for 143 of Parliament's 308 seats, an improvement over the 127 seats the party had in the previous Parliament.

But, based on results obtained directly from election officials, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. predicted the Conservative Party would not win the 155 seats needed to govern on its own. That would force it to again rely on opposition support to pass budgets and legislation - as it has had to since a 2006 election victory. "Canadians have voted to move our country forward and they have done so with confidence in the future," Mr Harper said early today.

The Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion conceded to Mr Harper earlier. "I have talked to Prime Minister Harper to offer him congratulations and my full co-operation in these difficult economic times," he said. He added that Canadians have asked him to be their official opposition leader, an indication that he was not ready to step down. Mr Harper had called elections early in hopes of getting his party a majority, but the Conservatives sought to put a good face on the results, pointing to their increased number of seats.

"Every other incumbent government in the Western world is in serious political trouble with the economic situation," the Conservative legislator Jason Kenney said. "Ours is probably the only one that could be re-elected - let alone with an increased mandate." The Liberal Party, long Canada's top party, suffered a severe drubbing, dropping about two dozen seats from 95 in the previous Parliament, according to the election agency.

Bloc Quebecois led for about 50 seats, the New Democrats just under 40 and independent candidates 2. Election figures gave the Conservatives about 37 per cent of the total vote, the Liberals 27 per cent, Bloc Quebecois 10 per cent, New Democrats 18 per cent and others 8 per cent. The party winning the most seats generally forms the government, with its leader becoming prime minister. The opposition parties could unite and topple Harper if they won enough seats for a majority, but analysts said that was unlikely because the parties have no tradition of forming such coalitions.

*AP