KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 (KUNA) -- Preliminary count of votes in Australia's legislative elections on Saturday showed the nation was likely to witness a hung parliament, where no party would enjoy majority of the seats.
The initial results revealed that small political parties, the independents' camp and climate advocates gained seats in the parliament at the expense of the ruling party and the opposition labor party, thus the assembly would be a hung one.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) quoted the renowned analyst, Antony Green, as saying that the ruling coalition could not secure 76 seats, the required number of seats to attain a majority in the 151-member assembly.
The ruling group, led by Prime Minster Scott Morrison, includes liberals and nationals.
The liberals and the labor party have lost seats in favor of the small parties and the independents' camp, Green affirmed.
Morrison, who cast his ballot at an electoral station in South Sidney, said the Austrians would vote for the contester who they eye as capable of managing a robust economy. Uncertainty is currently prevailing across the nation amid the reports that none of the competing parties will secure majority of the parliament seats, strengthening the theory that the leading party will negotiate with the small parties and the independent figures to form a "coalition minority government." The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) said in a statement that record numbers of voters had already cast their ballots at voting centers or via postal votes.
Voting is compulsory in Australia and just over 17.2 million people have enrolled to vote, it added.
This year's elections come at a time of rising inflation, threatening to undermine the strong Australian economy. (end) aib.rk